New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-23
The Importance OF Keeping Cool.

Now that the United States has clearly defined
it's attitude toward Entertainments on its rights
as a neutral Il becomes the first duty Of the
government and the public not to be stampeded
bv any threat Of trouble We must keep cool
and think straight. We are sure Of our position,
because II is based on the fundamental principles
Of international law We have nothing to gain,
and good deal to lose, if, on what only looks
like provocation. we begin to see red and talk
Unexpectedly
The calmness with which the sinking Of the
Evelyn has been taken is very reassuring. No
body has tried to magnify that incident into
grievance against Germany which demands In
slant attention. Our government, especially az 1t
Is the insurer of the lost vessel, is justified In
trying to get at the facts Of the disaster. But
It is sensible in holding that nothing in the nature
Of diplomatic protest is necessary.
The Evelyn was carrying cotton TO German
mort She was in German waters which had been
mined for purposes of defence, and whether she
had a German pilot aboard or not she was
subject to the risk Of encountering detached
mine. That is one Of the chances Of navigation
in the home waters of belligerent 1t was not
TO Germany's interest to destroy the ship On
the contrary, Germany was anxious to see the
Evelyn's cargo Of cotton safely landed.
In this war it is going to be very difficult to
bring home to any begerent responsibility for
the loss Of neutral vessel sunk by mine. The
Hague Convention Of October 18, 1907, put many
restrictions on the use of submarine contact
mines But that convention was not ratified by
all of the European belligerents, and by its own
terms it was to be applicable "only if all the
bellgerents are parties to the convention
! In the Russo-Japanese war mines were scat
tered freely in the high seas, and there is now
no very definite international restriction their
employment 1t is next to impossible, also, to say
whose mine it was that sank particular ship.
So far as losses through mines concerned a
neutral will have to 60 very slow in trying to
enforce reparation. The same embarrassment, Of
course, does not exist in dealing with attacks
made on neutral merchantmen by submarines,
which attacks do not differ from those made by
any other type of vessel under the flag of bel
Ilgerent No excuse for torpedoing neutral
vessel can be found in the law of nations
As with mines, so it is with cOntraband AS
long as goods are declared contraband by proc
|lamation and are seized and sent to prize court
in accordance with international practice, neu-
trails can make no very serious complaint. The
prize courts try to hold fair balance between
neutral rights and belligerent rights, and after
the prize courts decision is given there remains
the remedy Of diplomatic protest, with recourse
to arbitration. The United States in entering
into arbitration treaties with other nations COM
mitted itself to a deliberate solution Of all con-
troversies arbtrable in their nature, and contra
band disputes are certainly arbitrable.
Those who fear that the United States will
be drawn suddenly into diplomatic crisis with
one or other Of the European begerents should
consider the restraints we have put upon hasty
action on our part and be comforted By keeping
our heads and avoiding snap judgments we shall
help to maintain peace here and TO restore peace
more quickly to distracted and devastated Europe