Grand Forks daily herald., 1915-05-28
AN ENGLISH VIEW OF IL.

All countries have their jingoes. II
no war. And the jingoes of one ma
ton are persistent in their efforts to
pick flaws in the actions of every
other nation, and to ascribe every act
to the worst motives. Fortunately, all
people arc not jingoes. Really, very
few of them are. In this country tenn
perateness of thought and moderation
of speech have been marked on the
part Of the people. the press. and pub
lie officials. While there have been
some exceptions, these have been
rare, though noisy.
On the other hand. while there have
been across the ocean some express
sions Of resentment against the Uni
ted States on the part of small Sec
ton OF the press, aud while very
few busy papers in England have been
inclined to find fault with our attitude,
notwithstanding the fact that the
country has had ample reason to feel
the tension imposed by the conditions
OF the war; the attitude. on the whole,
has been that of calmness and rea-
sonableness. There has been gen.
cral recognition Of the fact that the
United States had before it a difficult
task TO maintain its attitude Of neu-
trality, and to do so in a manner
which would give no reasonable cause
OF offense to nations with which it de-
sired earnestly to remain on terms OF
amity.
This reasonable attitude is admir-
ably expressed in recent editorial in
tho London Observer. which reads as
follows:
NO one who thinks calmly and
clearly will feel anything but sympa-
thy with the government and people
OF the United States in the situation
produced for them by the sinking Of
the Lustania. American citizens have
been killed. wantonly and deliberately.
and in defiance of all international
law, in the exercise Of their undoubt-
ed right to travel across the ocean
AS they please. If. we being neutrals,
. similar outrage had been committed
upon us. tempest OF fury would
have swept from end to end Of the
land. But the course which the
American people can follow is by no
means clenr. and the obstacles in Mr..
Wilson's path are so many and so dan
gerous that no one can fairly accuse
him Of pusillanimity if he decides that
forcible action is denied to him. we
shall certainly not rank ourselves
among those who urge the United
States TO abandon their neutrality.
Great and grevous as is the wrong
done to them. We hold very decid-
edly that they have every reason for
prudent restraint.
"It Is a profound mistake to think
that. because the American people
have not flown to arms to vindicate
this cause of public law and humanity.
they have taken no worthy part in
the struggle. We can never be suffi-
ciently grateful to them for the moral
support which We have received from
All that is greatest and worthiest in
the American nation, and it would in
OuF view, ne DllnQef IL tney permit
led themselves. in moment of indig.
nation, righteous though 1t be. to fur
ther the deep-laid plans of Germany
by picking up the gauntlet thrown
down to them. President Wilson is
confronted with a very grave prob
lem indeed in the presence of millions
of American citizens of German birth
and-what Is worse-German breed
ing among the population of the Uni
ted States We must never overlook
that fact. 1t is not as is most un-
fairly said, question of votes 1t is
question OF the internal peace and
stability Of the country for which he
is responsible, and which it is his first
duty to preserve. What action he and
his government will think fit TO take
We do not know. Whatever it is, we
shall accept it without any loss of re-
spcct for the great nation across the
Atlantic. A man of proved temper
and tried courage is not bound to re-
turn a madman's blow