New-York tribune., 1916-02-27
THE NATIONS RESPONSIBILITY
the w" o." Mantle" Duty Speak for Humanity
Guardian
Justified on Petty technical

that q neutral or neutral vessel .o,,,
travel over this public highway A, ~. 'sy
Of destruction, and the settleman, 'ss
Lusitania controversy has appsren,lv n'
legal Germany contentious and I,.....'s
with regard 20 this submarine bloek.I.
further reprisal, In March, 1915. Cres, ~
ain and France declared blockaAo :, S'''
many, but, whatever else they NAV bsya ue''
these nations have taken Jealous e..
to endanger the lives Of neutral, 70 .s s''
government had In August, 1914. cal,,d c n'
many's attention 70 the first violatior =, WV
rights and had sternly forbidden the ni,s'
Of the free zones Of the North Sea fp,.,.S
violations might have been avoided. br, !,
not firmly opposed a bully never re,,....
but continues TO advance and 70 depr;y. ~,
unresisting victim OF his rights. -'
Belgium and Luxembourg, peaceful
neutral governments, were unlawfun, -
vaded and devastated; civil guard, wer. "a. ~
when captured, on the false pretsn,. ~ ~.
they were not entitled 10 fight IN dess,..1
their country as part Of the military fo,..
cities and towns in Belgium and France ~. ~,
destroyed and thousands OF innoeen, w..
cOmbatants shot on the alleged erop,a 49,.
German soldiers had been fred pno. -
snipers; airships made murderous a.,,.L,
upon defenceless n-combatants in 49,.
and towns; civilians BY the thousand. v.,.
unlawfully taken from their homes IN p,,
gium and France and shipped 70 Cerr,,,.
standing in cattle cars and unprovidsd ~.
food; poisonous gases were used IN ba..ls ;.
asphyxiate Germany's enemies. Thopsh II
Of these things were done in plain viol,.o,
OF international law, and though the Unlt.5
States was vitality concerned IN the ssncti,v
of their international contracts and IN k..n.
ing alive the laws Of humanity, no pro,es. :,
remonstrance whatever was made.
And IL no neutral intervene for vbs.,v.,
cause, the situation should become yor., u
that be possible, and We believe that u.
bitter dregs still remain 20 be forced sov,
the throat of this government. Only Germ,
defeat can save as. Il must be obviou, ;.
every one who has kept in touch With n.
situation that the German gover,n.,,
through It's Washington representative b,,
only pretended 70 listen 20 the Preside,,
and 70 give satisfaction that the whole ,p,.
pose of the negotiations, on one side. I, "a
entangle this country with the Entente Al.
lies. No thoughtful person believes that Ger.
many is amenable either 20 argumen, q,
persuasion. She must command or be CON.
manded. She respects only force, and coz.
siders only her own interest, and is villins
for the world to sink If Germany may swim.
In 1916 we went to war in defence Of ner.
principle. We refused to pay the tar on "a
because IL was levied without our consen,
It was not that the tax was destructive Or
oppressive. Now we refuse TO fgh. IN he
face OF infinitely greater violations Of ou,
rights. We refuse 10 fight when the lives 0.
our citizens are taken on the high seas ia
fragrant violation Of settled principle Of IN.
ternational law Is il that We are TOO proud,
HOMER GUERRY
Washington, D. C., Feb l6. 1915.