The Washington times., 1916-04-20
WHAT WILL GERMANY Dop

In some ways the appendix which
the State Department sent to Ger
many along with it's formal note con-
corning the submarine crisis, is more
illuminating than the main note.
This appendix deals with the evil
dence which the Washington Govern
ment has accumulated bearing on the
torpedoing of the Sussex.
When the question is asked,
"What will Germany do?" it becomes
necessary to examine the German
record from the creation of the "war
zone." Germany has seemingly
been willing at all times to indulge
the most extreme methods, despite
the protests of the United States.
When the Lusitania murder plot was
BADLY advertised by Germany in
American newspapers it could easily
have been made justification for
sending Count Won Bernstorff home.
The repeated assurances of good in
tentions were just as repeatedly vio-
lated. The. reiterated pledges that
neutral and noncombatant lives
would be protected were persistently
proved to mean nothing.
Excuses and explanations were
whitfield down to their most unsatis-
factory minimum when the Sussex
case came along. A gauzy theory
was presented by Germany, in seek
ing to dodge all responsibility for
that affair-a theory that, in view of
the evidence, can only be regarded as
a deliberate Misrepresentation OF
what Berlin knew to be the facts
1t was like the accused murderer re-
fusing to take the stand in his own
defense; it lodged the issue. In the
case of an accused person that re-
fusal leaves a bad impression. In
Germany's Sussex case the invention
of silly excuse for denying the OBJ
vious had an equally bad effect.
Just how strong was the case, in
point of fact, to prove that German
submarine torpedoed the Sussex, We
now know, because a most painstak'
ing compilation and Authorization Of
it has been effected, and the results
are contained in the supplemental
note to Germany. There can be M
doubt of the facts. There never
could have been any real doubt o.
them in the minds of the Germans
who contrived the childlike evasion
that Washington was expected to &C
cept.
What could Germany have meant
then, when, in view of the almos
certainty of exposure, she still as
sumed to mislead the United States
1t would seem that she had reaches
the point where she was willing t,
throw to the winds all semblance o
respect for the United States; t.
treat us as an international joke; u
. "josh" us about the most grave af
fair in international relations; to as
, sumo that under no provocatio
would we permit our self-respect t
! direct our actions.
J The alternative, as it must hav
! appeared to Berlin, could hardly b
t less than the very thing that Presi
) dent Wilson has now threatened,
! severance of diplomatic relation
= Germany seemingly was willing
{ take the chance of that altenativ
5 being enforced. She must have bee
willing to risk that much, for sh
| could not possibly have suppose
E that her cheap and unconvincing dis
: claimer would be unchallenged or III
= refuted.
!. Anybody who, with sincere inter
e to learn the truth, will read this SUI
t Elemental statement, dealing wit
S the Sussex incident, must be col
n WINGED that Germany knew her dil
S claimer would be proved disingen,