The Washington times., 1915-03-30
SOME ODDITIES OF WAR

to q British port "for orders," and
promptly sends her to the bottom.
Then, taking the crew and passen-
gers, of the sunken vessel, the Ger
man raider sails boldly into an
American harbor, and makes it n
refuge against British warships
seeking her destruction.
There is great indignation in this
country about the destruction of an
American vessel; but the foreign Of
fees of Washington and Berlin fall
to Exchanging letters, and diplo-
macy, with later on probably check
for the amount of damages, will set
tie the affair.
The raider asks and is given per-
mission to make necessary repairs in
the American port, and to take on
coal. She Is allowed the necessary
time for repairs, but when they are
finished must go to sea again. An
American port cannot be made per-
manently a refuge for a warship.
She must go out, or intern.
The repairs are now finished, and
the Eitel must decide which course
she will take. But a new complica-
tion arises. She cannot be allowed
to sail out within twenty-four hours
of the departure of an enemy mer-
chant ship, because it would be her
business to overtake and destroy
that ship. 1t must have a chance to
escape.
But it happens that every twenty
four hours some enemy ship is sail
ing out of Hampton Roads; so there
has not been, thus far, a chance for
the Eitel to be released without vio-
lation of this rule of fair play. She
lies with steam up, while a squad
ron of enemy cruisers, vastly her
superiors in arms and armor, wait
outside for her. There is suspicion
that these foreign vessels have taken
liberty with the three-mile limit that
marks the bounds of American SOW
ereignty; so American warships are
sent to Hampton Roads to enforce
neutrality: that is, to prevent any
unfairness on the part of those Brit
ish and French vessels that would
avenge the loss of the William P.
Frye, if only they could get half a
chance!
Meanwhile, report says that the
Germans are losing interest in the
rash adventure of going out to sea
in the face of the enemy, and that
they would like to .have their vessel
towed to New York to Be interned
There is no very apparent reason
why she should not intern at Hamp-
ton Roads as we'll as New York; but
if she wants to go to New York
and to keep within the three-mile
limit on the way, she is entitled
not only to do it, but to have the
United States enforce neutrality or
the way. That is, American nava'
power will provide a sort of escort
it is presumed, to make sure that nc
attack is made on the Eitel while
she is within the three-mile limit.
All of which seems fine and chiv,
alrous, in view OF. the fact that the
last notable exploit of the Eitel was
to sink an innocent American ship
1t is the way of war.
Why does the Eitel want to bt
taken to New York? There is NJ
very apparent reason, unless it bt
assumed that, somewhere on tn,
way, she intends to make a run fol
it; break away, dash to the open sea
and try, with her speed, to escape
If she escapes, and next day falls il
with an American ship carrying con
traband to England or France, sh,
will capture and sink it. If tn
American ship isn't carrying con
traband, the Eitel may sink it OF
suspicion-and let his governmen
pay the bills!
The chivalry and the regulation
of war are surely mighty curious
But the most curious possibility o
war, and of the business of main
tanning our neutrality, has not ye
been developed. An inquiring citi
zen, in a letter to a newspaper tn
other day, propounded question t
which the answer would be highl
interesting. He said:
Suppose that while the Eitel was
sinking the Frye in the Atlantic, an
American warship had come on the
scene and learned all the facts.
| What would have been her duty?
| That's a poser. In theory, Gel
many as country at war possesse
certain rights, even as against net
tral ships, that a country at peac
may not interfere with. 1t seems in
! possible to conceive an America
cruiser commander standing by an
| deliberately looking on while a wal
| e 4