Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-26

is to insist that Congress- cease meddlinE
| and be American. first. last and all the time,
THE learned gentlemen who are so in love
i with peace that no hole is too small for
them TO crawl into to get It forget that the
issue is not the lawful authority of the Chief
Executive to deliver an ultimatum to another
| nation. If a right of interference were In
herent in Congress- the failure to concede 1t
long since led to forfeiture.
II is a world of fact, not theory and the
big fact is that the utimatum has already
been delivered and has been emphasized by
reiteration. 1t is folly now for statesmen to
ask an accounting, to seek to dlscredt the
Administration and recede from a position
solely and simply because they imagine that
the vindicaton of rights may involve
us in serious consequences.
Since the day when Patrick Henry rose in
the Colonial Legislature of Virginia and gave
utterance to the slogan of Amercanism, there
has not heretofore been any considerable body
of men on this continent who reveled in funk
ing or preached quitting program. There
were peaceat,any.price advocates at the open
ing of the Civil War, but they were engufed
and swallowed up by the tide of patriotism and
courage which did not stop to count the cost
in the great crisis the nation faced. Yet we
frown of the Hohenzollern and bow their
knees in suppliant confusion at his behest.
The press of the country, and this newspaper
in particular, have been patient in II period of
unparalleled aggression on the part of nations
pretending to be our friends The injection
of terrorism and frightfulness into American
industrial life, the unprecedented activity of
foreign agents who have time and again out
ragged our hospitality have been tolerated
This nation has gone to extreme lengths to
keep the narrow path. But that the long arm
of the Kaiser should reach even into the
Capitol. that his sophstry should delude and
contaminate our chosen representatives, Is so
unutterably deplorable and humiliating a thing
that among millions of citizens who have
never before had cause to blush for their
country there is a feeling of Indignation and
outrage.
1t may be doubted in view of the exhibit
ton Congress has made of itself, if the Presl-
dent will now be able to secure satisfactory
settlement of the submarine controversy. The
Speaker of the House has declared that two
thirds of the body are ready to repudiate the
American attitude and indorse that of Ger |
many. The issue is vital to Berlin, and with
such support in the United States the greatest
and most powerful of neutrals, it is more than
straightway his program of destruction, count
ing on internal dissension within the United |
States to devitaize the purpose of the Presi- |
dent and expose this country to the rdicule |
of the universe.
There is, however, the remote possibility |
that the decisive stand of the Chief Executive,
in the face of party revolt, may emphasize
his purpose so that Berlin will not again ques-
ton the sincerity of his notes or his absolute
purpose to stand fast by his guns But the
chances are all the other way. ,..
There is one thing that does seem certain,
and that is that the Senate will never bring |
itself to the point of overruling the President
and emasculating his policy. Therein the
value of the upper house will again be shown
to the country.
The soft purr Of the cutters has In 1t
pausibility but only when the situation is
half exposed. 1t is sought TO spread the i'm
preston that the President seeks to guarantee
safety for armed ships engaged in the de- |
structlon of submarines. He is seeking to do
nothing of the sort He is insisting that
have right to be armed for
defense only, and that the destruction of those
ships without warning, on the mere suspicion |
that the small guns aboard are for purposes
of offense, would be a violation of the accepted |
law which this nation could never counte- |
nance AS matter of fact, Germany is sim
ply seeking technicality to Justify a renewal |
of her campaign of terrorism, in spite of her |
solemn promises to this Government that |
"liners will not be sunk by our submarines |
without warning and without safety of the
lives of passengers, provided the liners do not |
try to escape or offer resistance" Her new
plan is to destroy vessels that happen to be
armed whether they offer resistance or not.
II this proposed German campaign is car
ried out, no matter what resolutions Con-
gress may have passed the succeeding tales
of horror and Of loss of American lives will
arouse this country to such an extent that
in the violations will be impos-
sble. The sole effect of congressional action
would be to invite the casualties which would
lead straight to diplomatic break. Preven-
tion OF outrages is the thing toward which the |
President has been aiming; encouragement
of them is the effect Of the Democratic revolt.
1t is because we are for peace that we view
the situation in Washington with apprehen-
sion There can be no peace for a Chinahed
nation. no peace for fiunkers, no peace for
country that holds no principles too sacred
for sacrifice in dread Of war.