The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-17
ENGLISH VIEW OF A NEW
FASHIONED
The Adjustment OF Old Principles TO
New Conditlons-Appeal to Amerl-
u Forbearance and Gratitude.
From an editorial article IN the London
Times" Of March T.

tlOu III tnt american press Oh the
reprisals against Germahy announced
by the Prime Minister. That policy
was certain to provoke criticism,
but the objections urged against
it IN the United States and in other
countries whose trade interests 1t af-
fects are largely founded, We fancy,
upon Misrepresentation. Americans
nave been described as "pro-German'
in England and d nounced as pro
British in Germany. 1t seems to us
that their attitude on tn. reprisals
question, like their attitude upon all
previous questions. is intended to be
quit impartial. Their s~ymplthies. as
we learn by II thousand signs, are very
heartily with us. so far as the over
whelming majority are concerned.
But they aaVc not allowed their sym
pathics to d ilcct them from the real
neutrality at which they have aimed
from the first. They have shown all
along a natural and legitimate anxiety
h a tleir rights as neutrals should
meet with due regard. That feeling
was very manifest in the substance
and in the tone of their reply to the
German proclamation Of piracy. 1t
obviously undcr.ies and inspires a
good deal of uue newspaper comment
upon tn British counter stroke. II
IS a feeling which Engl!shmen. with
their long tradition in favor Of the
rights Of trade. cannot but respect.
We have been extremely careful,
as Sir Edward Grey has pointed out
In his replies 10 the American notc
Of Dec mtcr ., to safeguard those
rigats 50 far ds the manifest neces-
Sites OF our oWn military position
would have allowed. W. do not in
tend to depart from that usage. But.
while We are confident That the meas
ureS W. shall adopt may Ice r~econciled
with the fundamental principles of in
ternatlonal law. as applied to tho
wholly new state Of circumstances
whica has arisen IN the present
struggle. and which has eliminated.
FOR ." present, In the German claim
- sink all vessels IN the war area
without examination. We admit. IN tn
words %: SIR Edwards last despatch.
that We may have 20 take b~e,ligerent
action IN various ways which may
at first sight 10 regarded as n de-
parturc from old practice" Am"ri-
cans have studied the onmon law.
which is part Of their and our ioint
iuheritiu,o. too long and too We'll not
to know that the adjustment Of old
principles 20 new conditions l. o. tho
essence ot loyal progress.
That the conditions OF the present
coutes. are utterly different from those
~ the past wars in which intorna-
.tNT.. f.tl1 l.4 TN.1n'ts laNrnFntN.l ., .1An
stage now lad down IN N" text books
cannot be denied. \ very large par;
OF il was evolved before or during the
conflict with Nap leon. Great armies
Ncrc engaged on both side, hut II was
only toward the very end of the strug-
Gle ,hat Scharnhorst'S idea of an
armed nation WAS realized. L. this
var AL IN" continental armies are
,ousCript armies raised in accordance
with that idea. This single clrcum-
stance goes 1 .ong way - destroy the
old distinction between the armed
{. rCes OF a nation and the civil popula-
ION. II the army l. the people In
arms" TODD for the people is neces-
sar!ly, 10 a great extent, food for the
army. Foods may be imported FOR
the use of civilians, hut i is quite
certain that Z the army van them
J., viii take them. The German decree
OF January -, placing AL imported
grain and -four under Government
control, Introduces another element
INTO the question for which ther" il no
precedent. The subsequent modiiiCa-
ton Of February 6 does not appear TO
10 material. The decree in effect
makes the German Government the
ultimate conSirnee Of all imported
ioudStufs. How a any precedent,
or any rule based upon precedent, FOR
permitting CONSTITUENTS 70 civilians
and for civilian use be wrested 10 de-
tend cous.gnments which the enemy
Government have announced that they
will seize? Several continental Pow
crs have always maintained that food
stuns are liable 20 seizure. When the
present German Government de-
nounces such seizure as "murderous
and "inhuman,' u~utra,s should re-
member that two German C~han"ellors
IN succession. Bismarck r taprlvl.
defended IL m the strongest and most
voinpreh nslvc terms, tNat Germany,
so far as IS known, has never dis
avoNed the practice, that she rcsorted
TO i ruthlessly Il the s.egc o. Paris,
and tina Bismarck INDUCED his hum0r
hy talking OF tn" starving Parislans
eating babies" while he was AZ Yer
s~ali.,S. The doctrine 81 continuous
voyage" which the American courts
did 50 much 10 elaborate N the civil
war. and against which England
raised no protest, "a just such an
application OF old principles to novel
facts as Is implied N our answer 10
German piracy. II Oic'ht De- extended.
our Washington correspondent sug-
gests, to imports n Germany
through neutral states,
The German answer TO the "sugges-
ton" in the American note OF fehru-
airy 2. cannot lessen M difficulties
in asserting 10 that project. Germany
tells Washington, In substance, that
she may suspend her pirat cal opera
tons and refrain from eudanger!ng
American sh.ps and lives il England
Will allow her TO import all the food
She NEEDS, through agencies whose
names are communicated To the
United States. and who will hand II
over to Licensed dealers for consump-
ton by lie civ.l population only. We
have already explained that a sur
render by us TO any proposal Of the
kind would he, in The circumstances,
a surrender to blackmail. 1t would he
an admission that German piracy
had inundated us and a direct lnvi-
tatlon TO our enem 80 to esume the
r,rnp.sa a. their convenience "a