New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-21
BROKEN PLEDGES
An Inquiry Into a Common Aee,..x
Against the Germans
o the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor or The Tribune
Sir: Word Is sent from Germanv 49,
submarine activity is 70 be stin fs,,,%
creased: all merchant ships armed. ,,.s..
offence or defence. are TO be torpedo.d ~
out warning. This will cost the liys. :,
sengers and crews Of all nationali.I.s
cans will be killed, and soon we sh.lj 49,.
cusatiOns against Germany for h. 49,
Of her pledges.
But let US be fair. Let u, civ. u.
his due, for Germany has need ~ nv A
leniency Of judgment we can give b.,
over, TO think clearly is a deb, We ox. w
own mental integrity Germany n. 49,.
no pledges. The so-called pledges Az, -"
ly statements made by Germany in , 80.
last May relative to the then preser. 49,
under which the submarine comnand.v.
working. This was not pledges pro-;..
but statement. The fact tina. Il VA. -. ,
under duress does not change It's na.u,.
Moreover, there is 10 assurance A. A.
permanence Of these orders II thar.
no statement relative to their dursao, :.
might suppose them permanent. b., r..
is an explicit statement. made that a.
English blockade Of Germany Is aIlsv.1 !.
continue then the orders may be ek,.,.s
In addition 70 this, the note limits N. 49,
GATOR of these Humanitarian ord,r, :.
merchant ships recognized as such by ,,,.,
national law" And inasmuch 40 Csrr,,.
stated that she used this phrase "a d.
only unarmed merchant vessels, We "a, !,
terpret her statement only in this light
II it be contended that international ,.x
recognizes a defensively armed neres,..
ship, then we may have a pretty arruu,,,
over that question, but the result Of n. ~
gument cannot affect the meaning in Whit
the phrase is used in Germany's note ara.
vided Germany made il clear in what sens.
she was using IL, and she did make n eI,,,
The time TO object 20 her use Of II m.
when the note was received By taxing u,
pledge" in a different sense we do 20, hIrI
Germany. we only befuddle ourselves.
This remark applies also to President vii.
sons rejection of the conditions laid dow. !,
the NOTE. e., that the United States can.
England's blockade 10 cease. The rei,etio,
Of a part of a pledge does not alter II urs,
this rejection secures a modified and scsspu,
bic pledge. This was not the case ras n.
lection Of a part merely leaves il In the an
The say-so of the acceptor cannot tI,d u.
pledger Germany alone can bind Csrnsry.
President Wilson can say what Wilson VII
do; he cannot say what Won Jsgow win rs..
Use.
The American people and the Amsru,
Administration should clarity their nlad
this matter. Any volitional stupidity on or
part will not embarrass Germany. We shiL
secure for international law such victories
the courage Of our heart and integrity Of "
mind can attain, but by the hoeus-poess
words and recrimnations about "brefs
pledges" we shall secure nothing.
For this is the way in which internatisn
law is created IN the beginning-by counr
and by sacrifice. Some principle, good =
bad. for human kind is at stake, and han
people throws itself in the breach. and 10
Wordsworth's Happy Warrior, 10 "sstir
with sudden brightness, like man insprs
Thus and thus only are the great sdvssn
of law and civilization attained. So By u
bravery of Decatur and the American Nan
the Mediterranean Sea was made an cpe, va
Had the courage been lacking, the Msdin'
ranean Sea would to-day be recognized y
international law" as a closed sea owned y
Algeria. Tunis, etc. So the courage Of ~
coin and his men retained the SonsF1|
States in the Union. Had the courage ben
lacking. the Confederacy to-day would
recognized by international law as w
ereign nation. If a nation or nations ersr
revenue tariff, or protective tariff, or ~
hibitive tariff, or exclusion laws agsrs
other nations (as Japan did IN the W.
and these measures are acquiesced IN, ihn
that is according 20 international law ~
il the other nations refuse 10 acquissee y
their exclusion and compel a change, 'hc
the other becomes international law
To this the timid and the sentimental VI
exclaim: "Does law then depend on io'o
Yes, in the ultimate analysis, ell laws 20
international and domestic, depend TOT uo
validity on force. Though they be vn'e.
in the claws" of Hammurabi or Noses y
! il not enforced they are not laws. we a.
not stone a man to-day for picking up susn
on the Sabbath. That law has not been y
forced therefore it is not law. In the 81,
way any supposed right Of neutrsls 70 Va"
the sea in safety during war VIII Dc
tanned or lost according as the right y
| is not enforced. T..
This is the situation we face to-oa!' ~
amount of elocution or grammatical eons"..,
ton or recriminations against Germany ~
her "pledges" will avail. Let US brush W
from our mind, and in place OF 1t remsn's.
the words of Lowell: "They have righs VIZ
dare maintain them" and the words OF "a.
lyle: Deliberate valor is Gods highe" ~,
10 man, and comes not without trial % sg
(REV.) CHARLES Z. WALDkoa
ploomfeld ~ L Nov 10. 1918.