New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-24
THE STARVATION POLICY
Germany Always Willing to Profit
by It,
.- r~--~"f. - /,
To The Editor Of The Tribgnc

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Many Inconsistencies are written 20
the papers by apologists for Gernany's d.a-
bolical procedure In the coaduc- Of her sub
marine warfare agains, Grea. Britain. They
sly that they cannot take OF passengers and
crew; that they cannot allow q passenger
steamer time 10 lower her boats and get pas
songers and crew 20 safety as they should
60 according 70 international law. usage AID
the law of humanity. Then the passenger
steamer should be allowed go proceed. no MAX
81 what her cargo. Submarines were not
invented nor made TO prey upon merchant
men. A chorus of walls goes up that Bsta %
IS starving Germany's women and children.
Nothing is further from the TRUTH as there
= an abundance Of foodstuFs In Germany 40
r,esent and plenty IN the making Who be-
gan the starvation policy? In the fall OF
1914 Won Tirpitz. IN announcing Germany $
submarine policy. said. with the proper
amount Of arrogance Tor one so high in the
councils Of his nation. tho motive is 20
starve England" and further 40 strike ter
ror into her civilian population By the Iso.a-
ton of the country from the rest Of the
world"
1t was months after that England estab-
L he'd an effective blockade CT Germany. II
ID came to the stage where starvation seemed
inevitable for the women and children iH
Germany the war could be brought 20 close
and the danger averted, bu- what chance DID
the women and children aboard the Lusltania
have but to drown! Yet. that Lusitania hog
ror was acclaimed as a great naval victory
by the Germans.
The starvation policy IS not new 70 Ger
1any. as these German apologists would
have Us believe. for in ls70-'7l she literally
starved Paris Bclfort Net and Stras bours
I ne behavior Of the British in their conduct
of the war on the sea stands on. clearly IN
their favor; they have not caused the death
e a single sailor or passenger OF merchant
vessel. and they have saved all the hghung
men they could.
Another wall goes up about manufacturers
o. war munitions here selling 20 the Allies.
These critics know that our manufacturers
ere on perfectly solid ground, as far as Tie
law and the ethics Of the case are concerned.
There is nothing 10 hinder Germany from
purchasing here, too. II she doubts II, let her
experiment.
After Great Britain shut OF shipments Of
contraband TO the Beers. during the boer
var, through a Portuguese port on the east
ccas. OF Africa the Transyaal was cut OF as
Germany is Gu, of now. But what DO We
ind German doing? We ind her though
in sympathy with the Beers, selling vast
quantities OF war munitions 20 Great Britain.
OF course. she was quite within her rights,
but so are the American makers now. Yet
these mouthpieces Of government tha, has
perpctrlted ir the twentieth century greater
atrocities than have ever been committed be-
lore have the cFr,rtry 90 sneerins.y call as
dollar chascrs and othe~ cHdcarng = cpl
thets. When Germany has done as well IN keep
ing agreements with other countries or "hen
She has done as much for humanity the word
over as the United States has done sh; may
then realize what a contemplate plac she
held in the eyes of the world during l9ll 10.
New York. May 10, 1919 jail