Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-05-10
steamer Falaba was torpedoed by a
German submarine and an American
citizen was killed, but nothing was

ClClZeu WAS Killed, DuC uOLu1ng was
done. On the 2Sth of April the Amer
lean vessel Cushing was attacked and
crippled by a German aeroplane. On
the LIST of May the American vessel
Gulfight was torpedoed and sunk by
German submarine and two or more
Americans were killed, yet nothing was
done. On the 7th of May the Lusita-
MIA was torpedoed and sunk by Ger
man submarine and more than 100
Americans and LOO other noncom-
batantS were drowned. The very thing
which our government had warned
Germany she must not do, Germany
did Of set purpose and in the most con-
temptuous and shocking way. Then,
when all America was stirred to the
depths, our government addressed an
other note to Germany. It repeated
it's assertion Of American rights and
renewed its bold declaration of pur-
pose. It declared again that the Amer
lean government must hold the i'm
perlal German government to a strict
accountability for any infringement Of
those rights, intentional or incidental"
and it declared that it would not "omit
any word or any act necessary to the
performance Of it's sacred duty Of main
tanning the rights of the United States
and it's citizens and Of safeguarding
their free exercise and enjoyment"
Still nothing was done and a long
and technical correspondence ensued
haggling over petty questions Of de-
tail, every American note growing less
and less strong and peremptory until
the Arabic was torpedoed and sunk
and more American lives were destroy
ed, and still nothing was done, and
the correspondence continued until the
allied defense against German subma-
rine warfare made it improbable and
led to its abandonment, and the cor
respondence is apparently approaching
it's end without securing even that par
tial protection for the future which
might be found in an admission that
the destruction Of the Lusitania was
forbidden by law. The later CORE
spondence has been conducted by our
state department with dignity, but it
has been futile. An admission Of liza
! bility for damages has been secured,
but the time for real protection to
American rights has long since passed
The brave words with which we be-
gan the controversy had produced no
effect, because they were read in the
light of two extraordinary events
One was the report Of the Austrian
ambassador, Mr.. Dumba, to his gov
eminent that when the American note
of Feb. 10 was received he asked the
secretary Of state Mr.. Bryan, whether
1t meant business and received an an
swer which satisfied him that it did
not, but was intended for effect at
home in America.
"Too Proud to Fight"
The other event was the strange and
unfortunate declaration Of the presi-
dent in a public speech in Philadelphia
the fourth day after the sinking of
the Lusitania that "a man may be too
! proud to fight" Whatever the Aus
TRAN ambassador was in fact told by
| the secretary Of state, the impression
which he reported was supported by
the events which followed. Whatever
| the president did mean, his declaration
| made in public at that solemn time
amid the horror and mourning Of all
our people over the murder Of their
children, was accepted the world over
as presenting the attitude of the Amer
lean government toward the protection
Of the life and liberty of American
citizens in the exercise of their just
rights, and throughout the world the
! phrase "too proud to fight" became q
| byword Of derision and contempt fol
! the government of the United States
Later, in another theater Of wharf.-the
Observation-Disclosures, and perhaps
Turkey also, resumed the practice
The Ancona and then the Persia were
destroyed. and more Americans were
j killed. Why should they not resume
the practice? They had learned to be
lieve that, no matter how shocked the
American government might be, its
resolution would expend itself il
words. They had learned to believe
/ that it was safe to kill Americans, anC
the world believed with them.
Shaking Fist and Finger.
No man should draw a pistol Wh(
dares not shoot. The government tina
shakes it's fist first and its finger after
ward falls into contempt. Our diplo
macy has lost it's authority and infiu
ence because we have been brave il
words and irresolute in action. Mel
may say that the words of our diplo
matte notes were justified; men ma.
say that our inaction was justified, bu
no man can say that both were wis.,
and creditable.
have said that this government los
the moral forces Of the world by no
truly interpreting the spirit Of tn
American democracy.
The American democracy stands 70
something more than beef and cottol
and grain and manufactures; stand
for something that cannot be measure
by rates Of exchange and does not ris