The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-08
EDITORIAL COMMENT
OF N. Y. NEWSPAPERS
Sinking Of Great Passenger
Ship Treated From Many
Viewpoints.
EFFECT IN UNITED STATES

! The New York morning newspapers
commented editorialiy on the sinking OF
the Lusitania as follows:
The World.
Morally the sinking Of the Lusitania
was no worse than the sinking OF the
Falaba.
/ "In each case passenger ship car
rying neu,rals and non-combatants was
DESTROYED by a German submarine and
hundreds Of helpless men. women ana
I children left to float or drown. as luck
decreed The destruction OF the Lusi-
taris makes a more dramatic appeal 10
the human imagination than did the
destruction Of the Falabs. hut both
were crimes against civilization in
equal degree.
1T Is no fault OF the German Gov
eminent that anybody escaped from
either ship. II is no fault OF tie GER
man Government that every American
on board the Lusltania Is not lying
at the bottom Of the sea.
what military advantage was
gained by such proceeding compare
BILE to the moral revulsion against Ger
many that II Is certain to proc uce|
| Wars are not won by drowning neu .rais
or non-combatants. We venture to say
that no single act Of this confict mas
SO outraged American opinion or SO
. ri6dled the tattered rags OF German
prestige in this country as the destruc-
ton OF the Lusitania.
The whole Germsn submarine policy
in its campaign. not against British
ships OF war hu, against merchantmen
on the high seas. is a revival OF piracy
piracy organized. systen,atized and
nationaIized. 1t is piracy against neu-
trails as well as against enemies.
Modern history affords no other
such example Of a great nation rum
ming amuck and calling II military
necessity.
What Germany expects to gain by
her policy Is something We cannot
guess What advantage will 1t be TO
her to he left without friend or q
well wisher In the world?'
The Tribune.
From this tragedy We shall nov turn
to Washington. More than a century
ago, when this nation was weak and its
PEOPLE lacking in all the resources ~
"a great Bower, 1t made answer to the
pirates of the Barbary coast, who AS
serted prerogative less intolerable than
I that which is now asserted In Berlin
and executed upon the high seas.
"In sinking the Lusitania Germany
has turned new page in history, In
American history. - The voice Of
the United states must he heard first in
Washington. Hut In this crisis the
T President will be assured OF the support
the loyal. unfaltering support. OF Ameiri-
, can citizens OF all parties and OF no
. parties. In the presence Of "A national
H.. hnn kn ,..is
| less than American citizens. In the
presence Of a national peril We shall
have but one thought one duty and one
determination.
The nation which remembered the
sailors of the Maine will not forget the
, civilians OF the Lusitania I"
The American.
THE sinking of the Lusitania, with
: her heavy freightage of peaceful travel
lers. including hundreds of women and
children. was not an act OF war: II
was deed of wholesale murder.
1T must. however. teach the people
of the United States. who will to-day
read with horror the list OF their fellow
oountrymen sacrificed 10 the red rage
Of Europe. that a nation can rely upon
nothing for its own protection and for
the safeguarding OF its own citizens
tNNtpl iNS pNl PhN al PoWNi W piv'eNN
them against all menace"
The Herald.
The sinking OF the Lusitania only
intens!fes the wrong which has been
done to this country by Germany. The
Lusitana WAS Il British ship flying the
, British flag, but she was passenger
ship. common carrier on the high
seas. and while not immune from cap
Ill. ~.
was immune from destruction by tor.
, pedoes.
. She carried hundreds Of American pas
sengers. Fortunately none was killed
SO far as reports to hand show. But
4 this Isn't Germanys ault 1t had evi
IDENTITY been the intention to sink thu
Lusitan!a 10 matter at what cost q
: lives and no matter whether these WERE
: the lives of neutrals or belugerents.
"Germanys official advert sementI
warning the world of its intention u
, do this very thing. the registered letter,
and te1egrans- that were received b,
passengers telling them that German,
conts mplated this high handed and blood,
act of destruction. all reveal callous
ness and disregard OF the ordinary sen
sibilities that passeth understanding.
e The grave crisis which was precipi
tated by the sinking Of the Gulfigh
grows greater
!, The Times.
From our Department Of state Their
=, must go to the Imperial Government
! AT Berlin "A demand that the German
:, shall no longer make war like savage
: drunk with blood. that they shall ceas
TO seek the attainment Of their ends b!
the assassination of non-combatants an,
y ncutrals.
"Our demand must he made, and
), will he needed. unless Germany In he
u madness would have II understood tina
. she is at war with the whole cvilze,
world.
: 1T will stir the American people a
they have not heen stirred since tn
destruction OF the Maine in the harbo
OF Havana,
THE evidence of dellberation. OF al
intent to destroy this particular shir
is too nearly conclusive to he ignored.
The Pr~ss.
=. of the legal right OF the Won Tirpit
, Admiralty to destroy the Lusitania O
v any British vessel that is hauled dow
y but cannot be carried of as prize
" II Is well worth considering whethe
: such a shock to the world as we'll a
= provocation to the Allies viii In tn
end work more to the advantage c
J. the Germans or OF their foes
:, Merchant vessels will GO on maxim
7" their voyages. whether Lusitanias cor
tnue to be the queens of the sens q
~ are blotted on their crests. Neithe
y the one OF those things nor the oths
J. can shake brave and constant peopl