The Washington herald., 1916-04-20
Germany's Hour Has Come.

NSs Akoaf AAac ~ohSs
At last Germany is called upon to make choice
between the abandonment of savage and inhuman
methods of submarine warfare and the sacrifice of
the friendship of the United States. One the
other she must do. Convicted not only of the
murder of Americans but of the breaking of her
pledges to refrain from murder, the imperial gov
eminent may continue in friendly relations with
our own government only by Immediately de-
claring and effecting abandonment of its
present methods of submarine warfare against
passenger and freight carrying vessels"
The final note to Berlin-an ultmatum in every
sense of the word-contends for everything that
the President has ever contended for, not merely
for the safety of American passengers and Ameri-
can crews, but for the safety of all noncombatants
on the high seas The murder of defenseless
human beings of whatever nationality must stop,
or friendship between the United States and Ger.
many will be ended. Broken pledges in the past
have made Germany helpless to give US acceptable
assurance as to her future conduct; therefore the
ultimatum which has just been sent to Berlin
must be effective with the first submarine attack
upon passenger or freight vessel without warn
ing and without opportunity being given those on
board to escape. 1t will be the signal for Won
Bernstorff to depart from Washington and Gerard
to quit Berlin.
Germany's will be determined after a
careful weighing and comparison of the material
value of the friendship of the United States and
her present ruthless submarine policy. She will
sacrifice that which is the least profitable during
the war, bearing in mind that from the severance
of diplomatic relations the drift to actual hostili-
ties is easy. 1t is scarcely possible that Berlin
diplomacy will again resort to its worn out tao
tics of parley and delay, and here is suggested
the reason for the Presidents appearance before
Congress to advise it of action which he had al
ready taken and which few hours later was in
any event to be known in exact detail throughout
the world. Apprehensive perhaps of the appraisal
that Berlin would place upon another diplomatic
note from Washington it may be inferred that he
went to Congress much to impress Germany
as to serve notice upon the Cores, the McLemores,
the Smiths and even the Manns that sympathy
with the cause of any foreign nation must now
give way to duty to their own country; that hence
forth if they could not give their whole hearted
support to the President in his international pol
icies, it at least demanded of them that they
remain silent and cease placing obstacles in his
way.
That the Presidents address stolidly al
most indifferently, received in Congress was
doubtless due to the fact that the issue has been
so long drawn out and that what he had to say
was in sense surprise. He made no formal
demand or request and in spite of the great i'm
portance of his communication the occasion could
be made neither solemn overimpressive His
mission was recognized purely practical and
one not calling for the enthusiasm that would have
greeted it the day after the Lusitania atrocity.
Discussion of what Germany is likely to do is
prohtless. While she is making up her mind where
her interest lies and afterward there must be no
outward sign of dissent in Congress, and it would
appear that the President has taken care that there
shall not be-