Evening journal., 1915-09-10
Lei Him 90
(From the New York Tribune)


If DR.. Dumba acted upon his own
initiative in planning to tie up Ameri-
can plants by strikes, he was guilty
of an affront to this nation passing
the bounds Of any minor indiscretion
and he should be sent home without
delay.
II the Austrian ambassador acted
in obedience TO the Instructions Of
his government in deliberately under
taking to foment civil disorder in a
friendly nation, then the response
bility of the affr6nt and the injury TO
this country rests with Austria-H1n-
gary, not with its representative. But
not less patiently DR.. Dumba should
receive his passports. and, IN add
tion, the Austrian government should
be asked for an explanation.
No nation can tolerate the thing
that the Austrian ambassador was
prepared 10 do. No nation can toler-
ate the attitude that is disclosed as
the attitude of Austria, if the coun-
try not the ambassador. was the gull
ty party The smallest evidence this
country can give OF its view Of such
an outrageous and indofensible
course is to dismiss Dumba.
There comes from Washington the
unpleasant suggestion that the adj
ministration feels that it must 90 slow
because the Austrian government, not
the Austrian ambassador, was con-
ceivably responsible for the outrag-
eous proposal. Why? Are we less
bound to resent the invasion of Amer
lean rights as the deliberate act OF
a nation than as the individual dis
erection of an ambassador?
There lis also the intimation thai
the dismissal of Dumba might pro.
woke the similar dismissal of Ambas
sador Penheld in vienna. What if Il
does? Are we bound to hesitate il
the defense of our rights and the de
termination not to submit to insuffer
able wrongs merely because the con
sequences may be serious? If Aus
tria desires to assert that she pos
sesses the right to interfere in the in
ternal affairs of the United State
and maintain her assertion by dis
missing Mr.. Penfeld. then the soone
such contention is placed squarely il
daylight the better.
The Tribune agrees with its neigh
Dor The Sun, that it is an incompre
hensible thing that the administra
ton should propose to wait until
is satisfied Of what the country de
sired before it acted in the Dumb
case. AS well might the policema
on his beat await the decision of tn
residents in the block before he al
rested a man for disturbing the peac
or otherwise transgressing the Law
There is a limit to all this eager
ness to avoid war and escape a brea
between nations. No nation has eve
given more convincing proof of ii
honest desire TO reach a peaceful 81
luton OF its differences than we hay
in the case of Germany and Austri;
But the desire and the effort cam,
always be solely on one side "
cannot forever seek to excuse VIII;
the Teutonic powers continue TO d
to our detriment without Losing II
right TO defend ourselves and repul'
intolerable injury.
The atmosphere Of Washington
getting a bit unwholesomo, it won
SEEM There is an unpleasant hii
in recent incidents that the mai
, concern is not to see way throu;
difficulties. but a road tC run awi
from them. More Americans every di
are becoming suspicious, restiye al
dissatisfied with the situation at Il
capital There is an earnest desire
support the President, but there is
growing wish that there might be
better defined program to support.