Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-05-12
THE LUsITANlA.

From the many newspaper COM
ments which we have read on the
sinking of the Lusitania, we select
the following from the Cedar Rap
ids Gazette, on account of its free
dom from froth and fury and its can
did statement OF the facts:
The interest Of Americans whose
nationality is not described with two
words and hyphen until now has
been strictly neutral, so far as the
world stands aghast as it learns the
catastrophe that overlook the great,
ocean-going liner, Lusitania. The
tragedy is so fresh in the minds OF
US all as to leave US in something
Of a stupor, so Overwhelming are
the aspects of this incident OF war. u
Until there has been sufficient, time
for sober, second-thought reasoning
it would be folly to cry for this or
that retribution, for reprisal or for
war. ~, =. ~ ~ 81 " r.,
Great men whose ability the ma
ton has approved by popular ballot
are in Washington to handle just
such crisis as this. Let them do
their duty as they see it, with all
the support that democracy can
give them. We have seen enough
of war in the last few months to
know what will happen to us if we
elect to indulge in its seemingly
contagious pastimes. And yet we
have learned that small satisfaction
is to be gained from any of the bel
ligerents in case of an affront to the
United States government. The
course that lies between these two,
one precipitating a great power in
to a world conflict and the other
subjecting that power to enormous
pressure without actual sign of re-
lief until our neighbors have ceased
fighting, is extremely narrow. If 1t
wishes to uphold the nations dig,
nifty and yet secure some small
measure of atonement for the death
Of the Americans who were on
board the Lusitania the administra-
ton will have. to hew to, "a line on
which balancing will be most diff
cult. And the prayers Of ninety mil
lions of people should aid in its ef-
forts. -. ..-.-s.
| Even those most partisan in ma
ture can see both sides Of the Lusi-
tania wreck. Americans who con-
templated sailing from New York
harbor last Saturday were warned
not to do so in advertisements which
appeared in the newspapers at the
instigation of the German am.bassa-
dor to this country. In addition to
that, many of them received person.
al kilograms notifying them that
something was going to happen
and that il they wished to pursue a
safe course they would cancel their
passage.
1t is one thing for an innocent man
to walk unwittingly into a bed OF
rattlesnakes, but it admittedly is an
other thing when he walks into the
same bed after having been repeat
eddy warned to stay away. IN the
latter case he is not wholly with
out blame, and he is not wholly IN
nocent, for he has courted trouble
after receiving a request not to 40
SO.
The Lusitania went down within
the zone of war, as designated by
Germany some weeks ago. In her
holds as she sank were more than
five thousand cases of ammunition
and other materials of war, valued
at almost three-quarters of a million
of dollars. The flexibilities OF inter-
national law seem to permit the de-
srtuction of a vessel so laden. But
they do not permit the murder Of
neutrals. And there the situation
stands.
Washington has learned one les
son we'll in this incident. II foreign
ships are to be permitted to carry
munitions of war they should be re-
strained from carrying passengers.
Or, if such cannot be done, Amer
leans should be restrained from TAX
ing passage on ships carrying num-
lions. If there be those so foolhardy
that they are willing to run the
enormous risks Of entering a zone
of war on a vessel carrying ammu-
milton, Washington should exert It,
self to give them a little wholesome
advice, and, if necessary. to go
even further and tell them what
to do or not to do.
Large passenger lists and a hold
full of cases of ammunition do not
make a safe combination. There
should be no need for a warning
from Germany to that effect.
Some time ago Washington mott
fled the belligerents that any ma
ton causing the death of innocent
ly employed Americans would be
held to a strict accountability. The
administration now must decide on
the accounting it will demand. Let
the country stand by that decision.
Lies Best Gifts.
Good company and good CONVERSE
tion are the sinews Of virtue.-Sto.
v,han ALLAN "4 -.-r