Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1916-04-28

German submarine and an American
citizen was killed. but nothing was
done. On the 18th of April the Amer
lean vessel Gushing was attacked and
crippled by a German aeroplane. On
the list of May the American vessel
Gulfight was torpedoed and sunk by q
German submarine and two or more
Americans were killed. yet nothing was
done. On the 9Th of May the Lusita
mia was torpedoed aud sunk by a Ger
man submarine and more than 100
Americans and i.100 other noncom.
bntants were drowned The very thing
which our government had warned
Germany she must not do. Germany
did of set purpose and In the most con
temptuous and shocking way Then,
when all America was stirred to the
iepths. u government addressed an.
other note to Germany. 1t repeated
its assertion of American rights and
renewed its bold declaration of pur.
pose. 1t declared again that the Amer.
lean government must hold the i'm
perial German government to a strict
accountability for any infringement of
those rights. intentional or incidental"
and 1t declared that 1t would not "omit
any word or any act necessary to the
performance of its sacred duty of main
tanning the rights of the United States
and its citizens and Of safeguarding
their free exercise and enjoyment"
Still nothing was done and a long
and technical correspondence ensued.
haggling over petty questions of de-
tail. every American note growing less
and less strong and p%eremptory until
the Arabic vas t%orpedoed and sunk
and more American lives were destroy
ed. and still nothing was done. and
the correspondence continued until the
allied defense against German subma-
rine warfare made 1t Improbable and
led it's abandonment, and the cor
respondence is apparently approaching
Its { without securing eve that AR
tial >. Election for the future which
might lie found In an admission that
the destruction Of the Lusitania was
forbidden by law. The later CORE
spondence has been conducted by our
state department with dignity. but II
has been futile. An admission of liz
bility for damages has been secured.
but the time for real protection to
american rights has long since passed
The brave words with which we be
ran the controversy had produced no
<cfnne kano kt,A,, ryo,.n r1aI sx ekn
light of two extraordinary events
me was the report of the Austrian
ambassador. Mr.. Dumba. to his gov
eminent that when the American note
of Feb. 10 was received he asked the
secretary of state, Mr., Bryan. whether
It meant business and received an an
swer which satisfied him that It did
not, but was intended for effect at
home I'm America
"Too Proud to Fight"
The other ever was the strange and
unfortunate declaration of the presi
lent in a public speech in Philadelphia
rhe fourth day after the sinking Of
The LuSitania that "A man may he too
itroud to fight" Whatever the Aus.
lrian ambassador was In fact told by
he secretary nf state. the impression
which he reported was supported by
he events which followed whatever
the president did mean his declaration
made In public at that solemn time
amid the horror and mourning of all
0ur people over the murder of their
children. was accepted the world over
as presenting the attitude of the Amer
lean government toward the protection
Of the life and liberty of American
citizens in the exercise Of their just
rights. and throughout the world the
phrase too proud to fight became a
byword Of derision and contempt for
the government of the United States
Later, In another theater of war the
Mediterranean-Anstria, and perhaps
Turkey also. resumed the practice.
The Ancona and then the Persia were
destroyed. and more Americans were
killed Why should they not resume
the practice? They had learned to be
lieye that. no matter how shocked the
American government might be. Its
resolution would exnend itself In
words They had learned to believe
that II was safe to kill Americans. and
the world believed with them.
Shaking Fist and Finger.
No man should draw a pistol who
dares not shoot. The government that
shakes its fist first and its finger after
ward falls into contempt. Our diplo
macy has lost its authority and lnfu
ence because we have been brave In
words and irresolute In action Men
may say that the words Of our diplo
matte notes were justified; men may
say that our inaction was justified. but
no man can say that both were wise
aud creditable.
| have said that this government lost
the moral forces of the world by not
truly interpreting the spirit OF the
Anne. AN democracy
The I nerican democracy stands for