New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-07
One Thing or the Other.

These measures provide that American
citizens shall be warned against SAILING
upon belICerert ships end oelhgerent
ships sailing from American ports SHAH
be forbidden to carry both contra6and OF
war and passengers.
This legislation represents clear ana
consistent policy. It represents the views
q those who believe that al all costs the
limited States should be kept out Of the
Croot War. Il represent. the views Of
those who wholly and utterly repudlate
the notion that the United States has any
dYtv in the premises 70 defend interna-
tioDal law or vindcate the rights Of neu-
trails or the rules Of humanity. II repre-
sents a policy Of scuttle pure and simple
bu+ il does represent a policy. Il IS COW
ord;ce il Is selsshness but it is frankly
and honestly these things; It makes no
pretence at being what it IS not.
Now. the fundamental vice Of Mr.. VIII
. sons course. so far, has been that 1t has
deliberately endeavored 20 combine ioF
political advantage two courses that could
NOT and can not be combined the course
which would make th.s nation the cham
Mon of international law and the defender
Of the lives Of ifs own ard other neutra.
citizens travelling upon the high sea-
against violence and murder and the
course which IS represented IN Senator
Cores legislation. -,
From the outset NJ. Wilson has talked
.-.. ~ ;-+orra+iOnal law: he
has acted. or rather refrained from action
as the advocate of the policy TO keep ou'
Of the war at all costs.
The real origin Of all orr Difficulty neS
g., the fact that on February - Mr. WI
sor issued an ultimatum 10 Germany IN
...1,ch he declared in unqualified terms
that he purposeA to hold Germany to STREE
..countabl.ty for any injury to American
,-+:2ers uD9n the high seas. Tins was
nothing more and nothing less than Gee
1.r,..or that if Germany murdered Amer
loo, citizens the United States would
,.vo recourse 20 war which IS the only
roroodv against murder. Believing ms
,.e mon. women and children of American
and foreign nationality sailed upon the
Tue;.ania and were murdered
If Mr.. Wilson had believed that the
majority of his countrymen were i'm favor
Of avoiding the war at al costs Of life
honor and self respect, Ac should have
issred. not the "strict accountability ultl-
,oo+um. but the warning which Senator
Gore now asks for in his legislation. Had
s,,cb warrfvv been issued 70 American
citizens to keep off belligerent ships, then
,bere could have beeen nv issue over the
Tpsitania save as TO indemnifying the
heirs Of the victims since the United
\ States could not in any event surrender
the claims Of It's citizens And there Is
no reason to believe that Germany OF Aus
tris would have declined to join the United
States in submitting these claims TO aroi-
tration.
A great many fewer American lives
would have been lost had this course been
followed. and there would not have been
any danger at any time Of g crisis in our
relations with Austria or Germany. Inc
roIicv would have been, 10 the mind OF
The Tribune, cowardly and shameful but
Il would have been frank, and II Mr..
Wilson believed that the majority Of his
countrvmen desired that the nation should
etav out Of the war and that it was his
duty to follow the will or the majority
not lead. then he would have had no cause
for regret or apprehension, politically or
otherwise.
But if this course be dshonorable,
cowardly. certainly it is less so than
course which pretended TO do things that
Mr.. Wilson never intended 70 do and
added the sin Of hypocrisy to the offence
Of cowardice And nothing is palmer, in
view of the whole course Of recent his
tory than the fact that Mr., Wilson never
did intend 10 take the only alternative
course and 90 TO the full extent OF posi-
biltv in the defence Of international law
and the protection Of American lives He
was ready TO 90 just as far as words
could 90 and no further, but in his words
he continued to pretend that he would go
10 all lengths and 10 claim for his country
the honorable mission Of defending inter
national law and the precepts Of humanity.
The thing that many Americans and
more Europeans feel about American
policy is not merely that t. has been cow
ardly, but that it has been hypocritical;
that we have pretended to have a deep
concern for neutral rights and we have
asserted a firm determination TO defend
humanity, but that w. have never had
any such intention n' ave run away
from every emergcacy .aat required action,
not words.
Now Senator Cores measures bring US
back to the starting place. They give Mr..