The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-02-18

CTulstTS. WI ht COulu s0c Ot uOlnk ny
ing the flag In the enemy's waters
Then | understood Il. and, turning e
vornal. we threw ourselves into each
others arms. 10 could only mean an
armlstice-or peace!
And II was peace. We Leaf ned the
glad news when we had risen along
side the Juno and the ringing cheers
which greeted us had at last died
away. Our orders were to report our.
selves at once at Blankenberg. Then
she passed on down channel to collect
the others. We returned TO port upon
the surface. steaming through the
whole British fleet as we passed up
the North sea. The crews clustered
thick along the sides OF the vessels "a
watch US. | can see now their sullen
angry faces. Many shook their fists
and cursed us as we went by. 1t was
not that we had damaged them. I will
do them the Justice to say that the
English. as the old Boer war has
proved. bear no resentment against a
brave enemy. but that they thought
us cowardly 10 attack merchant ships
and avoid the warshlps. II Is like the
Arabs, who think that a flank attack
Is a mean. unmanly device. War Is
not merely a big game. my English
friends. II Is desperate business to
gain the upper hand. and one must
use ones brain in order to find the
weak spot Of ones enemy. IL Is not
fair to blame me II ! have found yours.
II was my duty. Perhaps those off,
GERS and sailors who scowled at the
little Iota that May morning have by
this time done me justice when the
irst bitterness OF undeserved defeat
was past
Let others describe my entrance into
Interchangeable mad enthusiasm OF
the crowds and the magnificent public
reception Of each successive boat as Il
arrived. Surely the men deserved the
grant made them by the state which
has enabled each Of them to be indie
pendent for life. As a feat of endur.
ance that long residence I'm such q
state of mental tension in cramped
quarters, breathing an unnatural at
mosphere, will long remain as record.
The country may well be proud of spch
sailors.
The terms OF peace were not made
onerous. for we were In no condition TO
make Great Britain our permanent en-.
envy. We knew well that we had won
the war by circumstances which would
never be allowed to occur again and
that in a few years the island power
would be as strong as ever. stronger
perhaps. for the lesson that she had
learned. IL would be madness to pro-
woke such an antagonist. A mutual
salute OF flags was arranged, the colo
NAL boundary was adjusted by arbitra-
ton. and we claimed no indemnity be-
yond an undertaking on the part OF
Britain that she would pay any dam
ages which an international court
might award TO France or to the Unit
ed States for injury received through
the operations of our submarines. So
ended the war.
OF course England will not be caught
mapping in such fashion again. Her
foolish blindness Is partly explained by
her delusion that her enemy would not
torpedo merchant vessels. Common
sense should have told her that her
enemy would play the game that suit
ed them best-that they would not In
quire what they could do, but they
would do 1t first and talk about 1t
afterward. The opinion Of the whole
world now is that II blockade were
proclaimed one might do what one
could with those who tried to break
It and that it was as reasonable TO pre-
vent food from reaching England In
wartime as 1t would be for besieger
to prevent the victualing OF a be
leaguered fortress.
cannot end this account better than
by quoting the first few paragraphs OF
a leader in the Times. which appeared
shortly after the declaration of peace.
II may be taken to epitomize the saner
public opinion Of England upon the
meaning and lessons of the episode.
"In all this miserable business" said
the writer, which has cost us the loss
OF a considerable portion OF our mer-
chant feet and more than $4,000 civil
ian lives. there Is just one consolation
to be found II lies In the fact that
our temporary conqueror is a power
which is not strong enough to reap the
fruits of her victory. Had we endured
this humiliation at the hands OF any Of
the first class powers 1t would certain
ly have entailed the loss Of all our
crown colonies and tropical posses
sions, besides the payment Of huge
We were absolutely at the
feet Of our cOnqueror and had no pos
sible alternative but to submit to her