Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-01-15
NEUTRALs MUST UNITE.

world must band together for concerted and
determined insistence upon their rights and
the observance OF international law.
The food blockade and the oppression OF
Greece by the Entente Powers no less than he
submarine campaigns of the Teutons cons:i-
tute grave violations of neutral rights and the
law which nations supposedly held sacred UP
to year and a half ago. The barbara sink
ing of passenger vessels by the sea-divers of
the Central Powers has been pretty thoroughly
ventilated, bat little is said OF the uneonscion
able manner In which Greece is being torn by
he.Allies. And yet whatthe Allies have done
by landing troops in Greece and fortifying
Saloniki is a greater offense against neutral
TERRITORY that what Germany originally pro-
posed to do in Belgium. Germany wanted per
mission to cross Belgium with her troops,
which is precisely what the Allies wanted.
of Greece and just as openly demanded:
Belgium refused and today is submerged,
conquered, crushed nation. Greece with per i
haps greater, discretion reluctantly allowed tile
Allies to land troops in Saloniki and now these
troops are making Greece. battle ground.
Further than this, the Allies not only want
Greece to yield her territory for their military
purposes but to attack the Central Powers and
their Allies if they cross into Greek soil to get
at the retreating armies of France and Britain
A pertinent comment on this attitude of the
Entepte group is made by an editorial writer
inethe Review of Reviews who saws: "Eng.
land joins hands with Germany in the bad
doctriRe that small powers have no rights that
great powers are bound to respect when a
question of military strategy is involved"
The submarine campaign against commerce.
isyanother powerful argument for a league oil
neutrals. The sinking of the Ancona and the
Persia Medi terranean waters is of the 8faS
est import not only to Americans bnt to all j
neutrals. Though some of the facts are in dis
pute; the principle is that on which the United
States held Germany to account for the de-
struction of the Lusitania
The submarine that sank the liner Persia
was Carrying out policy one nation, Germany
had abandoned, and another nation, Austria,
had pretended to ameliorate. 1t is policy
outlawed in the British Channel, the North
Sea, st. Georges Channel and the Irish Sea.
American demands and German compliance
outlawed this policy in the ''war-zone'' which
Germany last February drew around the Brit
ish Isles. Germany in this zone has quit the
sinking of unatmed passenger vessels without
combatants but neutrals. Germany in this zone1
has recognized the principles for which the
American administration has contended.
But this outlawed method of seacampaign-
ing is again evoked in the Mediterranean to
strike at lawful traffic and commerce which,
aid the Teuton enemies. Austria's submarines
are doing precisely that which Austria's ally
recognizes as not only illegal in war but I'M
wise in neutral relations. And Austria Is tenn
porizing and evasiye course vitiates all her.
halfassurances of better conduct in the future
There is talk now of Austria furnishing the
submarine commander who sank the Persia
it it was an Austrian commander This is a |
way of shifting responsibility which hardly
commends itself to common sense or fair play
For it is extremely unlikely that the Austrian
commander acted as he did without knowing
that on December 10 the Austrian government
had said in its formal note
Even il this presentation treferrng to the Wig
orous and definitely worded protest the Ancona-
sinkng) were correct in all points and the most rig
orous legal conception were applied to the judg
ment Of the it does not in any sufficiently
warrant attaching blame to the commanding officer
of the war vessel or to the imperial and royal
errment"
Put with less diplomatic euphemism, Aus
tria in substance said fatty that the most rig |
orous Judgment could not fix responsibility on
the commanding officer of the submarine which
sent the Ancona to the bottom
Now take the course of Austrian diplomacy
and sea-campaign following the Ancona sink
ing. There was first the protest of the United