Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-08
Crowning Horror of Horrors

SIOWnlnB hOTTOT OI HOTTOTB
| WHAT is the world coming to and into
! w what bloodthirsty madness have human
beings been driven? All the world stood
appalled, when an iceberg sent the Titanic
| to the bottom. That was the littleness of
men in conflict with the prodigious forces
of nature But yesterday another giant of
the sea was sent into the depths, not by
an accident not by a natural cataclysm, but
by human beings, intent on destruction, and
with 1t went hundreds of innocent men,
women and children into untimely and ter
rible graves. II is inconceivable that such
things can be, unspeakable that such deeds
perpetrated, intolerable that they should
continue
cry of indignation must arise at the
criminal negligence of the British Admir-
atty OF what use were it's patrols along
the Irish coast? 1t had ample warning A
convoy should have met the Lusitana miles
at sea, and brought her safely into port.
But none did and she rushed into destruc-
tion, impotent and helpless, freighted with
human cargo. Let the Admiralty explain
It will, and the world excoriate Germany.
as 1t must, but ever and always the accusing
finger will point to the lncompetency of the
men directing the English fleet who per-
mitted this thing to happen.
There is no excuse for Germany There
is no place in the sun for such deeds.
Her warnings were sent out 1t Is true, but
these warnings themselves betrayed wan
ton abandonment of humanitarian precepts
and the espousal of policies at once murder
Gus and contemplate. BY what miracle is it
brought about that great people, renowned
for kindliness wholesome virtues and big,
brave hearts, follow William Hohenzollern
in his fierce rivalry with barbarsm? Does
he invite the United States to join in the war
against him? Certainly within the past few
weeks he has again and again insulted our
sovereignty, dsregarded our rights and
Haunted our privileges. Were our people
less patient and our Government less set in
its stern pursuit of peace long ago we should
have been goaded into the supreme folly of
war
There is a limit beyond which it is not
safe to go. There is a danger point. Throw
into the conflict our billions upon billions
of wealth, match each 42-centimetre gun |
with an equal weight of yellow metal, put |
our resources unreservedly at the disposal |
of the Allies and the fate of Germany |
against which world Is already in arms !
will be definitely sealed. We do not wish
it. On the contrary an historic friendship
we should still preserve. We want peace,
honorable peace, with all nations and
against none would we willingly wage war.
Yet our citizens must not be murdered, our
ships sunk. our cargoes destroyed. There
is limit.
1t behooves our Government, therefore, to
reiterate its solemn warning; to inform Ber-
in definitely that it must cease its grievous
attacks upon our citizens, for in them there
s warrant of accepted precedent TO re-
spect our flag. to respect our citizens, to
assume toward us the friendliness which
We have a right to expect and to cease
,traightway its warlike treatment of us.
Peace may be had at too terrible a price,
We do not want 1t If we must have it dis
Our patience must vindicate it
elf by sureness in our diplomatic efforts to
prevent the recurrence of such savagery.