The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-12-17

made clear that at all COSTS political and otherwise
American lives were to be protected; IL he had de-
manded Of Germany that disayowal which alone could
have served a for Withholding declaration
Of war, might or might not have had abroad,
but certainly would have had peace at home. To
such note to such leadership, Americans without
gard to party politics would have responded with
such unanmity that the alien fringes would have
N American solidarity the utter f6u so o. al
There never in human history better ex-
ample Of the mpossbility Of escaping duty running
away from responsibility than that supplied by the
Lusitania We sacrificed citizens, forebore to
give them the protection in honor after death which
had promised them in life We uttered notes we com
device of the coward and every subterfuge of the weak
to avoid having to take any action which carried with
ii the possibility Of war. And in consequence we not
only failed to escape the ultimate possibility Of war
abroad, but invited and reaped harvest of sedi
ton sand anarchy Mt home. Ill.,.
Months after citizens murdered the
Lusitana have failed TO get disavowal from Ger
many, have not dared and the present administra
tion does not dare to demand such a disavowal,
because this would destroy the poor fiction of its dplo
matte triumph in the of the Arabic, diplomatic
triumph which is fully comprehended in the details of
the slaughter Of the men women and children Of the
AneOna For weeks after the Dusitania the Germans
continued to sink passenger ships when they coud they
gave the practise only when the British feet had
put approximate term to the submarine campaign in
the North Sea and the Channel and they promptly
sumed it, through Austrian agency in the Mediterra;
mean, when there was military purpose to be served
thereby. 't..s -
In the German mind the American foreign policy is
we are afraid defend citizens abroad because of
the political Of German Americans at home,
and too timd to risk the dollars Of business by
taking the stand that might involve action The view
in England and France Is not different. The British
censorship has already warned British journals to
frain from that criticism Of American policy which is
alike on German and British lips. THE WORLD BE-
LIEvEs THAT AMERICANS HOLD DOLLARS
ABOVE THEIR DEAD; IL finds the proof Of this in the
fact that our dead Of the Lustania still drift with
the tides, forgotten it would by men and gov
eminent alike.
And for all this what have we gainedf Peacef
Certainly not peace abroad since the sinking Of the
Ancona raises anew the whole question and the most
eager Of the Washington apologiss for Austro German
activity confess that II may prove impossible for the
American government TO find adequate excuse for
Austro murder of American citizens. Peace at
homei Assuredly not, when every days news con,
tans further disclosures of plots and eonspraees and
further proof of anarchy and violence.
The Lusitana case is not settled. The Lustania
may be forgotten at this moment by the Wilson
administration; il may be forgotten by majority of
the fellow citizens Of those men, and children
who went to death under the promised protection of
the American president contained in his strict ac-
eountabty'' note but it will return to demand the
attention and command the action of Americans here
after. It is easy to run away from the duty now;
nation fair field for internal conspiracy and it adj
vertses to the world that American lives be
taken with IMMUNITY abroad
For all this shall pay price far greater than that
which could have been demanded had met the
Lusitana massacre with courage instead of with
cowardice The American people will not permanently
endure the anarchy of the hyphen at home the
crimes Of the enemy abroad. Some day we shall
have to protect Americans abroad and put end to
anarchy and treason at home The task will be the
harder because have deliberately permitted the
world to believe that in both cases the criminals
were safe that they could operate with mpGnty and
that their paltry votes and insignificant political in
ueuee were sufcient to terrorise national admins,
traton and nullify patriotism.
There is day coming when all Americans will have
bitter to remember the Lusitana, and that
day what will be the verdict of whole nation the
betrayh! of the present day.