The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-12
GEIIMANY's REPLY.

! Several chickens were counted pre-
maturely in respect of Kaiser Will
helms reply to President Wilson's
second note relative to the slaughter
of the innocents who went down with
the Lusitania. Before its appearance
in the flesh there had been hints and
intimations from German sources that
it would be OF the favorable variety.
and would open the way FOR further
diplomatic exchanges that would re-
suit in a most amicable settlement of
the differences between Germany and
| the United States, and in a way that
would be compatible with the de-
mands of the honor and dignity OF
both nations.
1t does nothing of the sort In
stead of being conciliatory, except for
a perfect labyrinth of polite phrases
which mean nothing, it approaches
the impudent. 1t ignores absolutely
our request that assurances be given
that American passengers on steam
ers, unarmed, non-fighting merchant
ships, traversing the submarine war
zone" be accorded the rights that are
theirs and that the laws of nations
and of humanity grant them. The
note greets this proposal, this inquiry,
with a silence that borders on the
contemptuous. Instead of answering
this questions one way or the other,
Germany sets up rules and egula tons
whereby American passengers will be
granted safe passage through this
war zone" that are in such contra
vention to all the principles and pro-
visions of the international law in the
premises as to make them impossible
of acceptance by the United States,
unless we are willing to give up our
neutral rights.
Germany labels these proposals as
her rights" But they are rights
of the self-made variety, and, there
fore, have no standing in the court of
nations. International law, made up
as it is of presidents and practices
based on agreements between nations,
is not, in any of it's essentials, the
bulwark of belligerents. 1t hasn't
been built up for their advantage. 1t
is a code, primarily for the protec-
ton of neutrals, for the safeguarding
of their rights. Like all law, it has
been conceived to protect the weak
to restrain the mighty. And for a
nation. belligerent nation, at that,
to propose that this law be changed
it were, when a case of paramount i'm
portance is before the bar of the
world, savors of the ridiculous 1t is
an affront to the demands of decency
and order. It is in the same indie |
feasible status as would be a sugges-
ton to change the rules of a game
while the game was in progress SO |
that the man who was losing would be |
given such advantages that he would |
win eventually. 1t is as if a legislature
should remake the law governing a I
particular case while such a case was /
on trial in court and in such a way |
that the side in the wrong would be |
transformed into the side in the right |
by mere sweep of the legislative
pen. This is exactly what the new
German position amounts to. And it
is the reason, and a sufficient one, why
the German note is wholly unsStisfac
tory to the stand, and most tenable
one, that the United States has taken.
What will be the outcome? That's
the Dig question now. And it is a
grave one. The president and his ad-
visers will have to determine it for
the nation. Certainly the people, as
a whole, do not relish the thought of
having to go to war with Germany.
with Germany, or with any other ma
ton is abhorrent to our ideals. There
probably are, moreover, other ways
out, and it is equally certain that
President Wilson will choose one if
he can. 1t would seem that the
first move will be for the president
to inform Germany that her proposals
are unsatisfactory, and, of course,
there is the possibility that Germany
would then change her attitude. Such
a possibility, however, seems most re-
mote. And if Germany refuses to
yield, the president will have to steer
a course that the occasion demands.
AS suggested, there would seem to be
one or two open besides the alterna-
tive of war. A severance of all rela-
lions, diplomatic and otherwise with
Germany is one of them. But while
the results of such move would be
disastrous to Germany and her inter-
ests IN many ways, it would not be any
kind of a step in the direction of at
tempting to protect our neutral rights
that Germany is so insistent on ignor-
ing.