Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-16

not be stiIled. The opinion that we ,
ought no longer to remain defense
less became public opinion. Its ex-
preston grew more general and IA
sistent, and finally the President,
not leading, but following, has
shifted his ground, has reversed his
position, and asks the country to
prepare against war. God grant
that he be not too late.
THE PARTY UNCHANGED
But the Democratic party has not
shifted it's ground. A.1arge part of it's
members in Congress are endeavoring
now to sidetrack the movement for
national preparedness: to middle it
by amendment and turn it. into. chan
nels which will produce the least pos
sible result in the increase of national
power Of defense. What sense of eff
fectiveness in this effort can we gather
from the presence of JOsephus Daniels
at the most critical post of all-the
head Of the Navy Department; when
we see that that where preparation
has been possible it has not been made;
when we see that construction of war
ships already authorized has not been
pressed, and in some cases after long
delay has not even been begun.
SAFETY WITH REPUBLICANS
IF an increase of our country's
power to defend itself against ag-
gression is authorized by the pres
ent Congress it must be largely
through Republican votes, because
the representatives of the Repub-
lican party in Washington stand for the
country no matter who is President; and
all the traditions and convictions of that
party are for national power and duty
and honor.
WORTHLESS THREATS
AS to the policy of threatening words
without deeds
When Germany gave notice of her pur-
pose to sink merchant vessels on the high
seas without safeguarding the lives of IN
nocent passengers, our government re-
piled on the 10th of February, one year
ago, in the following words:
+ - If sd b a deplorable situa-
ton should arise, the imperial German
government can readily appreciate that
the government of the United States
would be constrained to hold the imperial
German government to a strict accouuta-
biity for such acts of their naval author
tiles and to take any steps it might be
necessary to take to safeguard American
! lives and property and to secure TO Amer
lean citizens the full enjoyment of their
acknowledged rights on the high seas
by all the usaSes ana traditions of
diplomatic intercourse those words meant
action. They informed Germany in I'M
/ mistakable terms that in attacking and
sinking vessels of the United States and
in destroying the lives of American citi
Zens lawfully travelling upon merchant
vessels of other countries, she would act
at her peril. They pledged the power and
courage of America. with her hundred
million people and her vast wealth, to
the protection of her citizens, as during
all her history through the days of her
youth and weakness she had always pro.
tected them. t-n"/ ,,ts., : spt,az
: son the 18th Of March, the pas
senser steamer Falaba was torpe
doed by a German subn1 arine. and
| an American citizen WAS killed, but
nothing was dore. On sl1e 2eti, of
April, the American vessel Cushing
was attacked and crippled by q
German aeroptane.. On the first Of
May, the American vessel Gulflioht
was torrsdced and sunk by Ger
man submarine, and two or more
! Americans were killed, yet nothing
was doing. On the 7th Of May the
! Lustania was torpedoed and sunk
by German submarine; and more
than 100 Americans and 100 other
bal Ir>,ar,aI
ANOTHER NOTE
THE very thing which our government
had warned Germany she must not do.
Germany did of set purpose and in the
most contemptuous and shocking way.
Then, when all America was stirred to
the depths, our government addressed an
other note to Germany. 1t repeated its
assertion of American rights. and renew
ed it's bold declaration Of purpose. 1t
declared again that the American govern
>ment must hold the imperial German
government to a strict accountability for
any infringement of those rights, inten-
tional or incidental and it declared that
1t would not omit any word or any &C,
necessary to the performance of it's 81
cred duty of maintaining the rights OF
the United States and its citizens and of
safeguarding their free exercise and en-
| joyment.'
U. S. STAND WEAkENS
still nothing was done. and a long and
! technical correspondence ensued; hag-
Cling over petty questions of detail, ev
cry American note growing less and less
strong and peremptory until the Arabic
was torpedoed and sunk. and more Amer
lean lives were destroyed. and still moth
ing was done. and We correspondence
continued until the Allied defence against
German submarine warfare made it un-
profitable and led to its abandonment
and the correspondence is apparently APP
preaching it's end without securing even
that partial protection for the future
which might be found in an admission
! that the destruction of the Lusitania was
forbidden by law.
1.-THE later correspondence has
been conducted by our State De-
partment with dignity, but it has
BEEN futile. An admission Of liza
bility for damages has been &C.
cured, but the time for real protee-
ton to American rights has long
since passed. Our government un-
dArtook one vear AGO to prevent