The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-04-24
Americas Neutrality.

While we may regret that through hi
recent memorandum Count Won Bern
storff overstepped the bounds of propri
ETY. and lost his footing on fact, W.
lcannot be altogether sorry that he there
by afforded an opportunity to demon
|strate afresh to the beligerents, in gen
Ieral, and the German government in par
ticular, that the neutrality of the United
States is absolute and immovable. BY
seemingly impugning the good faith Of
our government the German ambassador
made it desirable publicly to inform hin
OF the American course OF protest and
defense ALREADY known to all the world
protest against unnecessary interior.
ence with the rights of neutrals, and de.
Tense of the strictly neutral attitude OF
this nation. No other nation outside
the belligerent ring has protested as
America has done against every en-
croachment on the freedom of peaceful
ocean traffic--the freedom which Ger
many complains of having lost, and yet
puts farther from recovery by her muir
derous submarine operations.
America objected to these in no un.
certain terms, and with equal directness
she objected to the Anglo French embar-
go until it was regularized as an effec-
tive blockade. These are things of which
the German ambassador affected ignor-
ance. 1t is well he should be reminded
that the United States has insisted
upon the use of visit and search as an
absolutely necessary safeguard against
mistaking neutral vessels for vessels
owned by an enemy" This is no more
than neutrals have right to demand
under generally recognized international
law, yet Germany disputes it and tor
pedoes vessels without visiting to ascer-
tain their nationality. Our government
states the simple truth in saying that it
has at no time and in no manner yielded
any one of its rights as neutral to
any one of the present belligerents.
Count Won Bernstorff's insinuation to the
contrary was groundless and gratuitous.
The British foreign office has accumulat
ed somewhat formida BILE pile OF Amer
lean protests. and the German ambassa-
dor deserves the rebuke conveyed in the
remark that the relations of the two
governments with one another cannot
wisely be made a subject OF discussion
with a third government which does not
understand those relations.
But the more important question is |
the German government has any
understanding of the obligation of neu-
trail to keep its market open to all bel |
ligerents. America is duty bound not |
to discriminate against any of them in
regard to the purchase of arms, NUM- |
ton or anything else. She has no choice
In the matter if she is to maintain neu-
trality, the treatment of all alike be-
ing indeed the first condition of neu.
trality. There il no prohibition of the
sale of arms to Germany, nor will there
be prohibition OF the sale of arms to 9th.
er belligerents. II is but right to tell
the German government frankly in so
many words that the embargo which it
desires would be direct violation OF /
The neutrality of the United States. and
that therefore it would be out of the
question for our government TO consider
Z. If any question has really been raised
Dy the German ambassador il is this;
Shall the United States take side in
he war, or stand firm as friend of
10Th sidess There is but one answer,
ind our governments answering neu.
rality speaks IL every day.-Boston
Herald.