Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-21
Editorial Comment
Some Friendly Inquiries.
New York WORLDLY

The language of diplomacy differs
from that Of business. Responding to
the latest German note in everyday
( commercial terms, the President
would be apt to make these inquiries:
If. as Herr Won Jasow says. Ger
many values so highly the ancient
treaties between Prussia and the
United States, still in force, why does
it not respect them? In one of them
it is written:
If one of the contracting parties
should be engaged in war with anoth-
er power the free intercourse and
commerce of the subjects or. citizens
of the party remaining neutral with
the belligerent power shall not be in
| terrupted.
Thus far the protests Of the United
States against Germany's invasion of
neutral rights have been based alto
gether upon International law. The
treaties between the two countries,
| beginning with that of l1S5. cover
nearly every point now in dispute. in
plain words. and all Of them have
been disregarded by Germany.
many has no guilt" in the offenses re-
| Gently committed at sea. how does it
happen that its excuse for the Lusi-
tania massacre is not based upon law
1 or right but upon revenge and des-
/ peration? A man who killed women
and children on such a plea would
| confess to murder. Is it different
with a nationc
| If. as Herr Won Jagow says, Ger
many was driven by British naval ac-
| tivity to submarine war on trade"
what is the precise use Of the great
navy which is now hidden in the kiel
| Canal? Is civilized nation at war
| privileged to decline honorable battle
and resort to cowardly assassination2
! II, as Herr Won Jagow says, Ger
| many is conducting war in self-de-
| Tense for national existence" how
! does it happen that its armies are in
| Belgium. France and Russia, as they
have been from the first days of the
struggle? Why are they not behind
German Notifications. like the fleet?
| If. as Herr Won Jagow says. "acci
| dents" involving neutrals at sea in
wartime cannot be judged differently
| from accidents to which neutrals are
at all times exposed at the seat Of war
| on land" does he refer particularly to
| the accident that befell neutral Bel
GUM last summer and autumn. when,
through no fault of its own, it found
| itself at the seat OF war?
| If, as Herr Won Jagow says. Great
| Britain is in a position by reason Of its
naval supremacy TO give the German
people the choice Of perishing from
starvation or surrendering independ-
ence." what choice has Germany given
to Belgium. which would have starved
but for American charity and whose
independence has disappeared in
slaughter and devastation?
Finally. if the United States were to
accept Herr Won Jagow's gracious per-
mission on behalf of Germany, a ma
ton having not a single f1rst-class
ship on the ocean. TO trade under the
tutelage of few prowling sub
marines, what greater humiliation
could Germany put upon US at the end
of a victorious war?
In the guarded language OF d.
plomacy we have now been Informed
twice from Berlin that Germany
recognizes nobody's rights under in
ternational law The next American
note might properly contain an in
quiry in business like terms as to the
German attitude toward treaties-not
treaties with it's near neighbors but
treaties with an old friend on this side
of the Atlantic, for whom it processes
a high but rather eccentric regard.