The Alaska daily empire., 1915-05-17
ROOSEVELT AND TAFT ON
 LUSITANEA CRISIS

 tral with the belligerent powers shall not be interrupted" Germany has treated this treaty as she has treated other scraps of paper"
 Understand Nothing Put Force
 But the offense goes far deeper than this. The action Of the German submarines in the cases cited can be justn:S1 only by plea which would likewise justify the wholesale poison ing of wells in the path of Q hostile army or the shipping of infected rags into the cities of hostile country, plea which would justify the tor ture of prisoners and the reduction of captured women to tho slavery of concubinage Those who advance such a plea wlll accept but one coun. ter plea-strength, the strength and courage of the just man armed.
 When those who guide the military policy of state hold up to the sol- diers of their army the Huns" and the terror once caused by the Huns, for their imitation, they thereby rem der themselves responsible for any Finnish deeds which may follow. The destruction of cities like Louyaine and Dinana. the scientific vivisection of Belgium as a warning to other na- tions. the hideous wrongdoing to civ ilians, men. women and children in Belgium and Northern France, in or der therefore to terrorize the civilian population-all these deeds and those like them. done on the land, have now been paralleled by what has happened on the seq.
 "Neutrap Like Pontlus Pllate
 In the teeth of an these things. we earn as O nation measureless scorn and contempt if we follow the lead of those who exalt peace above right eousness. if we heed the voices of those feeble folks who bleat to high heaven that there is peace when there is no peace For many months our government has preserved between right and wrong a neutrality" which would have excited the emulous ad- of Pontius Pilate. the arch typical neutral of all times.
 We have urged as a justification for failing to do our duty in Mexico that to do so would benefit American dol lars" Are we now to change faces and advance the supreme interest of American dollars" as @ justification 1 for continuance in the refusal to do the duty imposed on us in connec- ton with the world war Unless we act with immediate decision and vi- gor we shall have failed in the duty demanded by humanity at large and demanded even more clearly by the of the American republic THEODORE ROOSEVELT FULL PR. ss REPORT OF TAFT's
 SPEECH
 Former President William II. Taft | rged patience and calmness in the present. international situation and .alled upon the citizens of the coun- ry to stand by President Wilson In |, n address at the Union League here t onight. Referring to the sinking of he Lusitania. Prof Taft said: "The of the circumstances in he case presses on us. but in the leat of even just indignation is not he best time to act, when action in- -olves such momentous consequences . md means untold loss of life and  There are things worse than war" ir. Taft declared, but delay due to ) alm deliberation cannot change the ( ituation or minimize the effect of ( that we finally conclude to do. With he present condition of the war in l Iurope our action, it it is to be ex- l -eme, will not lose efficacy by xiv ig time to the people whose war it e