South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-04
HOLDING GERMANY TO POINT.


knowledge on the part OF four people
of more or less pro-German allie
giance.-win no doubt be taken into
consideration by Prest Wilson's re-
Spouse TO Germany's, recent note, but
that they will materially change the
American attitude is doubtful. IL
there is subterfuge in the affidavits, 1t
is a safe guess that someone in Wash
ington will discover IT,
Germany. in all probability real
ICES il By this time, that the Lusi-
tania was no more Of a warship than
the Titanic was There were no can
non aboard. and the ship was not a
transport carrying armed Canadian
troops We hope il realizes that this
government had not permitted in
frlngement OF neutrality in any re-
spect whatever in it's relations with
the Lusitania; that not even the
American law against passenger ships
carrying explosives was broken, be-
cause we have never classed rifle
cartridges as explosives, and such
goods have always been carried on
ocean liners
II the German government really
believed these Misrepresentation,
Germany has been sadly betrayed by
the blunders Of confidential agents
and the credulity of her high officials.
The further contention that the Lu-
sitania is 10 be regarded as a warship
because she was expressly included in
the navy list published by the British
admiralty seems TO assume a strange
lack OF intelligence on the part Of the
American public Nearly every i'm
portant passenger slip in the world is
so listed. All the big British liners
are subsidized by the government.
with the understanding that they may
be taken over in case of war. SO are
the German liners. The Lusitania.
which had not been used except in
peaceful commerce, was no more a
''warship" than are the unarmed Ger
man liners lying idle in the North
river at New York.
All such pettifogging arguments
may be swept away. and will be. The
big facts in Germany's attitude, as
shown in her reply to the American
note of May 13 and in her current ma
val activity. are that she chooses to
ignore the presidents noble appeal TO
her honor and her conscience. and
that she wants TO spar for time in the
hope of delaying effective action by
this country while she continues her
submarine campaign unchanged as the
most effective rceans Of beating Eng
land. And IL seems as obvious as
ever that in waging this lawless war
fare she cares little for the injury she
may do to neutral nations. and almost
as little for neutral opinion.
The issue. therefore. between Ger
many and the United States. is be-
coming clear. and the two sides threat
en- TO become trreconcilable. Ger
many is determined TO use every
means IN her power 10 crush her che
my, even at the risk OF crushing neu-
trails who happen to come between.
she respects US no more than she did
Belgium. To our demand that she
0isavow such acts as the sinking of
the Lusitania. make reparatiOn for the
Americans slain and promise not 10
repeat the offense, Germanys last note
made this threatening reply: Ger
man commanders are no longer able
to observe the customary regulations
OF the prize law. which before they
always followed"
Those regulations require that enc
my merchant ships must not be sunk
without letting the sailors and pas
sengers escape. They are the very es-
sence OF international sea law. and
have been recognized heretofore by
every civilized nation in the world in
every war OF modern times
There is the crucial point in Ger
many's position. and the menace to
the life. honor and peace OF every
neutral nation. II is Germanys as
sumption that she alone has the right
10 break with impunity the law of
mankind. and 20 say what shall be
international law for the world-her
own necessity justifies everything. II
is as II a single citizen in an American
city should arm himself TO the teeth
take possession of the streets. an
nounce new police regulations OF his
own 10 govern the street traffic and
claim the right TO shoot down any
body who. voluntarily or involuntar.
ily. disobeyed his rules
Any American has as much right in
the war zone. 20 within three miles OF
the German coast as the German,
themselves have. He has a right Il
sail those seas on unarmed vessels un-
der any flag. All the seas are the
free highways OF the nations in peace
and war, and il Is outlawry for any
nation 20 order others off those high
ways. a blockade OF the enemy:
ports is permitted. under established
rules Great Britain herself has not
strictly lived up 20 the rules. and has
committed some acts OF outlawry
But Great Britain has imperilled only
property rights. she has uniformly re