Evening journal., 1915-03-18
British Appeal TO American
F0rbedrance and Gratitude
CFrom an editorial article Times ~

so far as is known. has never dis
avOwed the practice. that she resorted :
to il ruthlessly in the siege of Paris,
and chat Bismarck INDUCED his humCr
by talking of the starving parsians
"eating babies" while he was at YER
sailles. The doctrine of continuous
voyage" which the American courts
did so much to elaborate in the civil
war. and against which England
raised no protest was just such an
application of old PRINCIPLES to novel
facts as is implied i'm our answer to
German piracy. 1t might be extended,
our Washington correspondent sug-
gests, to imports into Germany
| through neutral States.
The German answer TO the "sugges-
/ ton" in the American note of Febru-
airy % cannot lessen our difficulties
! in asserting to that project. Germany
( tells Washington, in substance. that
she may suspend her piratical opera
tions and refrain from endangering
/ American ships and lives If England
will allow her to import all the food
she needs. through agencies whose
names are communicated 10 the
/ United States, and who will hand il
over to licensed dealers for consump-
ton by the civil population only. We
have already explained that sur
render by us to any proposal of the
kind would be. in the circumstances
a surrender tr blacknlail It would be
an admission that German piracy
had intimidated us, and a direct invi-
tation to our enemies to resume the
process at their convenience, say
when they had imported food enough
TO carry IL EN- TO the next harvest.
But there are other objections to
the project which should appeal to a
practical nation like the Americans.
What security should we have under
such a scheme that the food would
go to the civil population alone? Ger
many's word? The Americans know
its worth as well as we do. Are they
going TO guarantee it, and if 20 how,
and how do they propose, in case OF
need, to enforce the guarantee? Arc
they 20 send, and is Germany GO admit
and to pay, a host of American Of
hcials who will supervise the German
agencies in the ports, and the Ger
man licensed dealers in every tcwn
and village of the empire? If dis
lputes should arise between the Ger
. 7
hand and the American inspectors on
the other who would decide them
| Germany has pleaded necessity" as a
, sufficient reason for all her violations
of treaties and of law. Why should
we suppose she would refrain from
urging il as a reason for breaking any
e. new engagements she might make?
, We are satisfied that on reelection
81 IN al
, this project will be perceived across
b the Atlantic and that the plan viii
be seen to he a mere diplomatic trici;
American opinion for the moment
, seems to have forgotten that I'm al
/ great wars beiligerents take action
: against which neutrals who choose e
2 stand on the hare letter OF the Law
q might plausibly protest Our WASH
q ington correspondent reminds us tha
O this was very markedly the case dur
4 ing their own civil war. The victor,
q OF the union was in great part due t'
n the ruthless blockade of the SOutherl
- States, which it was one of Lincoln
e first acts to proclaim. The blQckad
II was certainly irregular, under tn
e declaration of Paris, for many month
N after il began. The Washington Co.
n iAnMtll kiliW anu NOulte0tu AAul .
d was irregular All America knew tn
It terrible loss and hardship which j
n inflicted on the whole population en-
% gagged in one of the chief of Englis
l. Industries.
o But Lincoln's Government aDpealc
Il for toleration and for indulgence, an
.e the appeal was not in vain. Unde
ID the guidance of men life Bright an
{, W. T. Forster, who understood TN
lr greatness and the value to mankin
10 Of the ideals for which the North wa
e. fighting. the British democracy dl
~ not scrutinize too closely the acts {
" kindred people struggling for II
= life. Therein they showed the lara
L. wisdom and the large generosity {
ne their race
@. May they not hope today, whC
8" they have been plunged against the
g. will into a conflict yet more deadi
RS for aims which are not less high. TIT
H. America will do unto them as, in Il
ST. day of her visitation and of her tria
y. they did unto her?