New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-24
BREAK WITH GERMANY!
Sinking of Merchant Vessels Without
|, Warning Calls for Prompt Action.
the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: On August Is the Marquis Of Crewe'
speaking in the House of Lords for the gov
eminent, stated that seven merchant vessels
had been destroyed by German submarines
without warning since the termination OF
the Sussex correspondence between the Amer
lean and German governments. There were
other suspected cases of like character, but
the seven cases he referred to were, ne
stated, proved, and had been attended, as
usual, by the killing of some forty non-com-
batants Such official statements from Brit
ish sources have been shown during the war
TO be uniformly trustworthy, and we may
take it for certain that there have been at
least seven Of those breaches OF international
law with regard to which the United States
informed Germany in the Sussex note that,
unless the Imperial Government should
now Immediately declare and effect an
abandonment of its present methods OF
submarine warfare against passenger and
freight carrying vessels, the government
of the United States can have no choice
but to sever diplomatic relations with the
German Empire altogether"
1t appears wellnigh certain that the con-
dition which, according to our solemn dec
laration leaves no choice but to sever dlplo-
matte relations has occurred 1t does not ap-
pear that there is the shadow OF an excuse
for the eating of our words which the con-
tinuance of relations involves, or for main
tanning longer our disgraceful official amity
with the nation whose repeatedly demon
strated barbarsm has shocked civilization.
It does not particularly matter-both In
view of the language and spirit Of our decia-
ration quoted above and of the obvious dan
gers to our citizens involved In the use OF
submarines according to the methods prevail
ing for months prior to May 3, lSlo
whether any. citizens of the United States
happened to be upon any of the vessels men
toned by the Marquis Of Crewe, though IN
conspicuous paragraphs in the papers inti-
mate that there were. To sit timidly watch
ing the commission of illegal acts which are
sure to result, if continued, in the loss Oh
American lives is for our government to neg
lect the first duty of sovereign. The policy
which resulted in the murder of over one
hundred Americans has been recommended
after we have solemnly warned the murderer
that relapse into that policy would, mean
the end Of relations with it. | sincerely
hope that you will, in your editorial columns,
do what you can to prod the Wilson admin
istraton into the novel course OF squaring
it's deeds with its words.
would not, however, wish you TO suppose
me so deficient in intelligence as for mo-
ha proddinO
that our vacilating Executive will take any
fortnight action. Action is foreign to Its
nature. Moreover, its god is the coming cleo
ton, and it long ago determined to go to
the country on platform Of peace at any
price. It's hope for next November is that
enough voters, as they enter the polling
booth, will mutter, a little shamefacedly, per-
haps, Anyway, he kept US out of war" We
can be fairly certain that nothing will be
done which may tend to weaken the appeal
of the administration to the sloth and timid-
ity which are latent in all of US, and which,
if they can be brought to the surface in suf-
fciently large numbers of men, will return
Mr.. Wilson to Office.
Neither do expect any outburst OF popu-
lar indignation against Germany. Since Au-
gust 1, 1914, we have gone so far on the path
Of degeneracy that l doubt il another Lusi-
tana massacre would cause marked excite
ment outside the newspaper Offices, where
extra editions might be issued people
which fifty years ago was capable of heroic
sacrifices now seems for the most part to
have become, thanks to the deadening effect
Of seeing outrage upon outrage pass unpun-
ished and to the sloth and softness resulting
from great material prosperity, indifferent
TO its own honor, unwilling TO acknowledge
the obligations which membership in the
family of nations imposes, careless Of its
own future and content to play the contemp-
table role Of q neutral, whatever provocatioI