The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-04
Samuel w. Pennypacker Finds Deep
Significance to America in Posi-
bic End Of England's Rule

sia, Mr.. Wilson was promising the
American people that they should be
permitted to send their own boats
through their own canal free OF tolls.
and both were thwarted by the infiu-
ence Of England. All Of these occur
rences happened not because of any
special hostility, not because OF a fall
ure to recognize that both were peo-
pies of the same blood, but because of
the fear that presently there would be
a nation on the earth strong enough
to make uncertain the supremacy of
the British Empire.
In the present orgy Of war the most
wicked event which has occurred is
not h assassination OF the Grand
Duke OF Austria and his wife, or the
o~verrunning Of Belgium. or the injury
to cathedrals, or the dropping of ex-'
plosive bombs upon quiet towns, but
the fact that England. In the hope to
suppress a rival. has urned loose the
Mongol, with all that this fact means
in the future of the world. The brunt
Of the evil consequences will fall not
on Germany but on America. And
the next most wicked event was the
agreement England made with Japan
that she would not cease to fight until
Japan should be satisfied.
This war Is a horrible struggle for
existence, for the opportunity for the
heart to beat and the lungs to breathe
the air. and We may well sympathize
with all of the peoples engaged in 1t.
but we should first have concern for
our own welfare.
1t Is entirely plain what the course
Of America ought to a been in this
gigantic struggle. The duty imposed
upon her by the fact that she was the
most influential Of the non-combatant
countries was to assert the rights of
neutrals with such firmness as to COM
mand respect and to give proof that
she was not pretending to be evenly
poised between the belligerents while
really helping one of them. Here was
her opportunity to give reasonable ex-
tension to those rights.
She ought to have told Germany
that we had absolute legal justification
for selling arms and ammunition TO
whomsoever We pleased, and II we
RETAINED II would be because of those
humanitarian sentiments which Mr..
Wilson SO unctuously upholds in his
recent letter. She ought 10 have told
England that IL We wanted to buy
ships We would buy them from the
Germans or from any n else who
had them to sell. We ought TO have
demanded the right OF neutrals to have
some part in determining what shall be
con'raband of war. and not TO have
permitted the belligerents to say tina
oil. copper, cotton. food and every
thing else hat We have to sell were
included In that class. We ough,
to have told England that the North
Sea was an open sea INC that we pro-
posed, II need be. 10 go there and
trade. We ought to have forbidden
the use OF our flag as a means OF
enabling belligerent vessels to sneak
safely into their home ports.
The three mile limit OF Jurisdiction
along the coast was fixed in the days
Of sailing vessels. Now that guns
end their balls and bombs fifteen
miles, 1t Is an obsolete and ineffective
rule. II England does not hesitate to
declare the North Sea 'closed, and
Germany TO declare the waters around
The British Isles a war zone. it Is high
time that something OF a like kind be
done in behalf of Neutral interests.
We ought to have notified the bel
ligerents that one OF their war
vessels would be permitted within
twenty-five miles OF an American port.
end thus to have established a prin-
ciple Of great importance adapted TO
existing conditions. We ought not to
ha,.A haAN h,r.f1tatl -. - -
land for permission to get information
by way OF the in%ter-oceanic cable, a
service due to American thought and