New-York tribune., 1915-07-20
The Hopelessness of 1t.

oneration. the attack upon the Orduna,
can only lead to a feeling Of the hopeless
ness Of the whole diplomatic conversation
with Germany. How is it possible to deal
with these people if they persist in their
present course? To what end can words,
forbearance. honest desire to reach an ac-
commodation of existing differences lead
if perpetually the methods of the murderer
interrupt the processes Of civilization?
Always a German necessity" intervenes
between American rights, between all neu-
tral rights and their possessors.
The FRYE was sunk because British
ship was supposed to be at hand. Inc
Lusitania was torpedoed because she was
armed. The Nebraskan was attacked be-
cause the German submarine commander
saw no mark of American ownership.
Doubtless in due course Of time we shall
find a German explanation of the shelllng
of the Orduna. A reason, be it understood
wholly outside Of the purview Of interna-
tional law or common humanity
We are also soemnly told that the Lusi-
tania was sunk because she carried ammu-
milton. because it was necessary to protect
German soldiers, even German women and
children. from invaders furnished with this
ammunition. But the Orduna carried no
ammunition. She carried nothing but pas
sengers. American men, women and chill
dren. Nothing but the naked desire to
destroy a ship could explain the attack to
any but German minds.
Consider, too, the moment selected for
the operation. Read the German note as
interpreted by the German act. Set along
side the professions of friendship, the lofty
principle and high humanity, the brutal,
murderous, inhuman expression of Ger
man policy upon the high seas. What pos
sibility is there for the United States, for
any neutral nation, to reach common
agreement, a living basis, with nation
that adopts the watchword murder
first?
Is it not time for Americans as whole
to recognize what men of many nations
all over the world have already recog-
nized? Every one Of us not Of German
extraction has discovered in recent months
in talking with German-Americans an
utter and complete absence Of any point OF
common agreement. Fact, law, humanity
these things whenever they conflict with q
German purpose have been abolished
When a German offence against civiliZa
tion could be denied with even a semblancC
of warrant it was denied. Lacking thi:
defence there was an affirmation Of thC
doctrine of a higher law, a national neces
sity setting aside all international conven
tions.
The beginning Of comprehension Of the
German phenomenon now filling the world
is the recognition that it is an amendmen
to all existing rules of life, an excepting
clause making them imperative and of NJ
effect when they stand between German
purpose and its goal. After the violation
there will come a justification based OF
conditions unknown in advance. Belgium
was invaded as an alleged "act of neces
sity." the German Chancellor explained
Weeks afterward the world heard of the
discovery Of documents in Brussels war
ranting the invasion.
Every one will concede the courage, the
grandeur, the success of German effort
No one will deny now that the German peo
pie are united and determined, that the!
have made war marvellously and given tC
the world an example Of patriotic devotion
unexceled in modern history. But cannot
the Germans realize that all this success
coupled with the affirmation Of their doc
trine of necessity, is in fact a warning
to the world to make a common cause
against them?
Germany is waging a war which she
asserts is in self-defence. But the plain
truth is that her manner Of wagng it is
making it a matter Of sef-defence for al
other nations to fight her. OF all nations
on the face Of the earth none is less anx'
ious to wage war with Germany than the
United States We lave made, we are
making, every conceivable effort to avoid it
But every possible bridge across the divid-
ing gulf is no sooner completed than de-
stroyed by German aggression.
We are prepared to believe that the ex-
treme utterances Of the Bernhard school
are not expressive of German opinion. We
are ready to discount the ebullitions OF
professors about the superior race, the
German right to rule the world, the wick
edness of all right that is not German
right. But ready as we are German action
will not permit us to believe 1t. German
murder or German atten pied aSsassina-
ton daily arrives to confirm that which
we would doubt and deny that which we
would believe.
If the Americans on the Orduna had
perished as did those on the Lusitania
war with germany would have been inevi-
liable. S,xh war would have meant that