The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-11
WAR ECHOES

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Intelligent American opinion will await full reports of the circumstances and conditions under which American lives were destroyed whether due opportunity to save life was afforded before the sinking of the vessel whether the destruction of the vessel ir any event was violation of rights which neutrals and noncombatants might have on the merchant vessel of a belligereni carrying contraband of war. Apparently the case has strong points of similarity to within the purview of the Presidents fa- nous war-zone proclamation. It was not a vessel flying our flag. Americans had due warning to avoid the vessel. its de- struction was broadly advertised before hand.
 That it's destruction was a violation of sentiment and humantarianism is one thing: that it was a violation of rights or law remains to be seen.
 The fate of the Lusitania. one of the swiftest most powerful and costly of the worlds merchant ships. marks the eli max of German offensive at sea.
 It likewise marks the furthest extremity recorded in British impotence against modern agencies in marine warfare.
 The sinking of such liners as the Cen turion and Candidate was impressive and ominous. They were successfully attacked In Pritieb bon,a vatare adi,cant to Rriti sI coasts. But they were the random, for tuitously selected victims of a danger that has been ever present since February IS, and which many ships have escaped
 The Lusitania met disaster after explicit and portentous warnings that she had been specially picked for destruction Did the British armiralty disregard these warnings, which would have impelled the naval authorities of any other civilized power to employ their utmost resources for averting the threat? If they did dis regard them, this alone is evidence of British weakness and fatuous overconf- dence.
 If precautions were taken proportioned to the severity of the blow that would be administered in the sinking of such shir as the Lusitania, the event is of ill.omened significance to the British navy. It ap- parently indicates British helplessness under the most favorable circumstances possible for British naval defense When protection fails after the specific object of attack has been known for days in advance and the place where the attack is most likely to take place can be easily calculated, one of two conclusions is ire sistibe:
 Either means of defense against the submarine Is futile, or the British navy is in urgent need of some such drastic as General Joffre has already applied tc the French army.
 New York Journal of Commerce: Clear ly nothing but the exercise of supero force can teach Germany to respect con laws of nations, and with any protest o ours on this or other cases of German naval outrage, must arise the question O how much force we hold in reserve. Tn, one hostage we possess for Germany good behavior is to be found in the Ger man ships interned in our harbors. Som of these are the property of the German government all of them are subject t the call of that government for duty a commerce destroyers. But to confiscat them would be an act of war; even t, threaten their confisca ton would be plain announcement of hostile intent Neither course Is open to the Presden of his own volition, and he is not at al likely to recommend any such method O reminding German that we have som power to punish for offenses against tn lives and property of American citizens But the lengths to which the reckles brutality of German war methods cal be carried at sea, nevertheless, presen considera tions in presence of which tn American people are not ready to ad init their utter helplessness. There ha been. in spite of repeated and growinl provocation every disposition to assum that the situation is one which can b. best left in the hands of the President There will be no effort in any responsibl quarter, to force his hands now, even il
  yet made of the dangers which that sit | uation involves to vital national interest for whose protection governments exist But it may be hoped that the diplomati protests covering the entire subject 0 the new and barbarous methods of Ger man naval warfare, will, on our side. a lleast. be sufficiently emphatic to produc the desired impression. and peremptor enough to make it quickly apparen whether we have any real power to dee with these methods as they deserve. On thing may be accepted as certain: tn
 American temper will not indefinitely CT dure these intentional outrages.
 ALABAMA PRESS