The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-10-14
GERMAN SUBMARINES ON
THE AMERICAN COAST

The number Of vessels sunk was [
few in comparison with the bulk Of |
the ships in the trade between Amer /
lea and allied ports, but the panic /,
caused was a forecast Of what will |
happen if the attack is repeated in
stronger force.
At present it isn't known whether |
there was one submarine or several;
whether the assailant vessel, if there
was but one, has taken to the high
seas on its road for home, or whether
it has retired to a secret base in
some secluded spot on the American
coast, to replenish it's stock of tor
pedoes and return to the attack. In
either event, it is undeniable that
what has been done can be done again
and in the next few weeks concert
ed attempt to blockade the American
coast by means of Teuton submarines
may be made. It's much easier for
German undersea boats to, attack
merchant ships off the American than
off the British, French or Italian
coasts, and it is much more difficult
for the allied war vessels to defend
them.
If such a blockade is put in effect,
it will harm this country as much or
more than it will Great Britain or
France. 1t will cripple if not utterly
destroy our foreign trade, bring on
all our people financial disaster, and
to very many intense suffering.
1t is useless to blame the Germans
for this. They are correct and con-
sistent in their policy Of ruthlessness.
AS this paper said some time ago, the
Germans do not mean to be cruel,
even when they drown women and
children or drop high explosives on
them. Their idea is to be as inexor-
able as law of nature They apply
this policy not only to their enemies
but to neutrals. America has suffer-
ed from it comparatively little, but
our turn may come, and probably will.
It doesn't have to come, and will
not come if our government has the
spunk of a yellow dog. We have as
much right to defend ourselves and
set aside international law as Ger
many has.
According to the rules now in force,
if big British or French liner is held
up by German submarine four miles
from Sandy Hook, the submarine may
order the liners passengers and crew
into boats, and then loot and sink the
liner, or if the liner tries to escape
may sink it with all on board, even
though half dozen American war
ships are present. This was almost
done in the case of the liner Stephano.
This vessel coming in was halted by
the U-53, its passengers and crew
ordered into boats and then sunk.
Many of the passengers were women,
some with babies in their arms. Sew
eral were Americans. When the ship
was sunk, all were in open boats, fifty
miles out at sea. There would have
been great suffering and perhaps
death among them if number of
American war vessels which happen
ed to be in the vicinity had not gone
to the rescue.
How long does anyone suppose it
viii be, in such campaign, before
the tragedy of the Lusitania is re-
peated?
How do our people relish the idea
of having their shipments of grain,
meat and cotton to Europe rendered
uncertain, if not entirely stopped,
with the result of the price falling
lower than it was before the war?
Our government does not have to
put up with anything of this sort. It
has good-sized navy, and has the
power as well as the right to shove
the disaster away from our shores. If
our cruisers and destroyers steamed
up and down our coasts looking for
predatory submarines, or guarding
the liners and merchant ships; if our
government said, and showed the dis
position to back up its words, that
such blockade meant war, there
would be no blockade and there would
be no war.
We hear lot Of silly slush about
Mr.. Wilson keeping us out of war.
Nobody but a hare-brained fool could
have got this country into war with
either Germany or the allies since the
European confiifit began. Neither side
would have dared to take any step
that it knew would add America to its
enemies.
The Central Powers abuse and in
suit us, and the allies sheer at us, be-
cause we stay out of the war and
make money. None of them have any
right to do So This country did not
bring on the war. 1t has right to
sell its goods. It hasn't done anything
that the other nations wouldn't do, or,
or a smaller scale, haven't done. They
have all sold guns and ammunition to
everybody who would buy, including
the enemies Of their own govern
n,ents. America has been more just
and more merciful to the rest of the
world than any other nation. It would
be as brave or drawer than any if it
ever realized the necessity.
America badly needs leader. It