Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-03-16
AMERICAN PRESS ON WAR BLOCKADE.

Co+inrod nrotest against invasion of our rights by
any of the beigerents, and continued eIorIS " os
about an understanding between England ana Oeflhay
which will mitigate the suffering OF neutral commerce.
are urged bv many American editors in the situation pro-
dced by the starvation decees issued by the TWO chl Del
lgerents in Europe according to the Literary DlgeSt
which has carefully reviewed the columns o1 tne eadhg
newspapers of this country But few are very hOpel O
norv o notable success it concludes In official circles
in Washington there is feeling, say the correspondents,
Chat it will be impossible to induce Great Britain 10 MAKE
any material changes in the plan she has announced iof
starving Germany and that Germany will carry out her
program of destruction of British commerce Germany
doom is sealed well starve her out says the French MIN
ster of Marine. Great Britain wants war TO the khIe
replies the Cologne Gazette to Mr. AsquhS threat Oh an
embargo on all German commerce; She snail nave IT,
Both sides Justify their most extreme measures as re-
prisas for earlier lnlstfabe acts of the enemy and mn
Div that rght-mnded neuras therefore ought not to OBJ
iect Some of editors nope IN Germany accept
ance of our proposals for modifying the most unpleasant
features of her warzone decree But others are more
impressed by the fact that this acceptance conditioned
upon England's willingness to make important ana I'M.
probable concessions The AngoFrench plan to cut OH
all exports and imports from Germany puzzles many
American writers. blockade, says the New World, is
very definite thing but ito notify the world IN general
terms that commerce with Germany is forbidden without
declaring blockade and without accepting its reSponsbll-
tiles amounts to declaration that neutras as wen as bel
lieerents are involved in war And H. as Britain MAIN
tains German submarine warfare is piracy then TINS law
less British warfare also is piracy In New York Even
inc Posts opinion "such frank reputation OF nterna
tiona law and Of treaty the English government pro-
noses will 90 far to rob England of the moral superiority
which she appeared to have at the beginning of the war
And the belief as the New York American puts It, that
both Germans and the allies have abandoned all pretense
of observing international law leads many editors TO 1aV
or definite stand by the United States the power
full spokesman for neutral rights 1t is our duty thinks
the New York Globe "to retain what life we can In the
body of international law it has grown up during the
last hundred years" And he nations now wanting us to
deect this way that way as suits their immediate eX-
ipency will thank us for keeping alive the fire on the altar
of civilization.
That we have q clear grievance in the absence of a
blockade announcement is the conviction OF host OF
papers in all parts Of the country including the Boston
Transcript Springfield Republican, New York Evening
Post World American, Sum- journal OF Commerce, and
Tribune Brooklyn Eagle, Philadelphia Press Washington
Post, Chicago Herald and Indianapolis News. Mr. AS.
ouths ausion to judicial ncetes sounds to the Spring
field Republican painfully like an echo from the head
quarters of Admiral Won 1lrpitz
Arguing that there is and can be no effective blockade
of Germany because of her neutral boundaries the New
York Evening Sun contends that not only protest on oul
part iustifabe "but any and every form of resistance
may morally and legally be used which is eXpedent anC
profitable to adopt The effect of the rule, the
Washington Post sees it, will be to drive off the ocean al
commerce except commerce with the allies And our duty
s to make such determined protest to England as sha
be Needed The protest may take the form of an ultima
tun or it may actually result in war But even that il
preferable to being dragged into war ON account of coward
~ failure to enforce our neutral rights
On the other hand there are those who, like the Bos
ton News Bureau believe that the allies have declared
blockade 'n effect and extent, if not in name" Th
Boston editor thinks the allied naval power strong enough
to make this embargo" or blockade adequately effect
i've" The Brooklyn Citizen seems to be convinced tina