Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-05-24

can then take up the larger questions
arising CIT o. the war. such as the
rights and duties Of neCtrals, the
terms II peace and the basis of =
lasting pszce- The Independent mad
his suggestion the week the war
broke out and il Is essentially the
Peace Conference % last February,
and Of tire international Womsa-s
Congress held az The Hague the end
q APRIL
II Germany refuses however. TO
make reEarsEion for the loss Of lives
and properly destroyed On the high
ssas IN contrayention Of inte-nasiona.
law and morality, and 20 give pledges
against tie recurrence OF these ont
RACES. then there is likely 10 be
white hot demand from various in
1aential sections Of the American
people for war. Just how great tina.
VIII De nobody Of course can predict
Il then the Conference Of the neutraIs
has been called. the United States
Government can refuse 30 precipi,aie
its action un1:l the whole matter l.
laid before the neutrals for considera-
lion ami joint action.
This viii accomplish two great pu--
poses
FIST Il viii give tine for reason
10 reasse-g itself Certainly the
American people should never resort
10 war 10 combat the evils % mill
-arisn unless in absolute Calmness
and a. Z last resort
Second Il will raise the issue from
Z personal quarrel between two Ia
tions 20 the plane u international Ia "
and morality.
Assuming the conference will con-
slider the issue. il would then either
come 10 some agreement as 10 the
course 81 action 10 BE- pursued Or not-
Il ro- then the case would be JUS.
where i vas before. But tine would
have elapsed. and whatever action the
United states then found il necessary
10 take would be taken in the light
u reason and only because al else
had failed.
Il < more than likely. however. thai
The conference would come 20 sub
star-lal agreement as TO what course
10 take. Ard If in the meantime Ger
many had not come 20 her senses o.
made some acceptable counter pro-
rosais. the neutral nations would
doubtless not find :asuperable diff
cult:es in agreeing 20 put economic
pressure upon her and that would IL
jGra her far more than the use u
force.
For Il Germany vas made III out
Law nation and the neutrals ceased al
intercourse with her. that would pu.
ring around her that would very
nearly strange her. Even If Ger
many should declare war on all tho
reutrals in retaliation, it would make
TO especial difference.
II the United States. however. does
rot call such conference Of the
neu,rals and attempts 10 settle her
dispute with Germany alone. We NAV
be az war with her before r.e know il
/, Is not impossible that such ar
eventually would be not entirely dis
tasteful 10 Germany. For We could
not do her the slightest harm in z
military sense for six months and in
the meantime We would be raising
and equipping an army Of one million
or more soldiers. who world require
the product OF all our ammunition
factories for their equipment and sup
ply. The cutting of Of the export q
ammunition 10 the Allies At this mo-
nnert might weaken them much more
now than the support Of United
States army would aid them later,
There can never BE- objection 70 ex
erting economic or physical force 20
uphold international law agreed upon
BY nations in convention assembled.
But for one nation 10 use force
against another unless first attacked,
or until after diplomacy, mediation.
commissions of inquiry. arbitration
and economic pressure have failed *
generally unjust and frequently
tyrannous. for litiganI IS seldom
the best judge Of the justice Of IL;
own contentious.
Let President Wilson. then, call i'm
nediately all the thirty-five neutral
nations together. Ii is worth noting
that should they act in concert they
would hold the balance OF power -
men and warships between the two
groups Of belligerents. If we wait IN
I'll the United States becomes in
volved it may then be too late.