Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1915-05-10
THE PRESS AND THE LuslTANlA
INCIDENT.

INCIDENT.
The Eastern press comments are
severe against Germany's methods.
The New York Tribune declares for
action which would mean a declaration
OF war. The Philadelphia Inquirer
points out that there Is a limit OF
patience, and that II is time for
declaration that the United States
will not brook the murder OF its Ma.
tionals "in any heinous crime OF this
nature" The Inquirer tells that TO
gain the ear OF this country Germany
must radically change its methods.
'Dastardly" is the word employed by
the New York Sun in dealing with
the incident. The New York Times
ventures that from this government
must 90 TO the imperial government
at Berlin a demand that II no longer
make war like savages drunk with
blood" that they shall cease to seek
attainment OF their ends by the as
sassination OF noncombatnants and
neutrals. YEskrsssS ElsisifYA
- The call OF the English and Cana
dian press, loudly proclaiming that II
Is time for the United States to join
the allies in the war for humanity"
finds no responsiveness in American
circles. The Washington Star admon'
fishes for moderation as follows:
"The obligation OF maintaining the
National dignity and honor rests upon
the official head Of the Nation-the
President.
I'VE may be sure that President
Wilson with calm and informed iudg-
ment will adopt measures that will
enable the people Of the United
States TO retain their seli.respect in
this emergency.
In the meantime individual opinion
should be confined to the inevitable
horror and devastation of the act and
its awful consequences, leaving to a
calmer moment consideration of the
question OF whether its perpetrator
may still be regarded as rightfully
belonging to the family OF civilized
Nations"
The New York Times discusses the
situation from the standpoint Of the
law Of maritime warfare and says in
part as follows:
"The rule OF maritime warfare
which imposes upon the commander
of ship OF war the duty OF providing
for the safety of the passengers and
crew OF any vessel he may elect to
destroy, is plain, unmistakable in its
application to every case. and It has
been everywhere and by all civilized
Nations accepted as a binding obliga-
ton. The rule is of such universal
acceptance and assent that the text
writer's for the most part mention It
only in passing illusions, as when
Holland says that II ship and cargo
belong beyond question TO the enemy,
the captor may, after taking off the
crew. sink the ship
I'VE overlook nothing, we have
taken full account of all the facts
that the Lusitania was an enemy ship
flying the enemy flag, that she was
carrying munitions of war to the
enemy and had on board reservists
sailing for service in the British
army. The undisputed facts gave the
commander of the German submarine
the right to destroy the ship. Moth.
ing could give him the right 10 de-
stroy or imperil her crew and passen'
gers.
Now that we are warned that Ger
many has resolved to make war in
disregard of the laws of God and man
like a Malay running amuck, we know
what to do. The time for protests
has passed. 1t becomes now our duty
as a Nation to demand that Germany
shall find means to carry on her wal
without putting our citizens to death
But II the dispatch without warn
ing of torpedoes against the grea
Lusitania with 1000 human beings oil
board is to be accepted as a true mani
festation of the German spirit II sh'
proclaims it, If she had deliberatel!
determined that all the world shall
know that this is the way that sh'
proposes to make war, that this is he
attitude toward the law, this is thu
measure of her humanity, then al
neutral Nations are on notice that thu
complete defeat of Germany and Grad
ioation of the military spirit Of Ger
many are essential to their peace ant
safety, and they will feel that the!
have tenfold greater reason FOR de