Arizona republican., 1916-02-22
At a Crucial Point.

The United States has been brought the vortex of the world than it has been any time within the last twelve month. The end of the present may find committed O hostilities presented the world, still humiliatng spectacle than Our position in the matter of armed merchant vessels is which must hold, however foolshy it taken, must recede from it gnominously. There will be side door by which escape honoraby even unobtrusively We must either ad- tail and for it. It is almost that Germany is coming without intention of turn ing back
 If the collision the great contributing cause will be this Hateful Year of Our Lord Nineteen Hun dred and Sixteen. If any other than a quad rennia year, the administration would surely find some humilating out of it. But Mir. Wilson him self must be that the time for backing and filling is past. If Germany sticks it's program the administration make good it's latest decara- ton Mir. Wilson might well abandon all thought of succeeding himself in the presidency The people cannot change their minds with the facility and dex- terity with which he changes his. The administra- tion hold the last stand it has taken or else go down.
 Whether not that stand is approved by people the president with the consent of congress- commit them to it. Even then the administration will be taking gamblers chance but it is a chance that it must take. If does take it it is surely lost and if it takes it, may add to the probabi ties of the presidents reelection the other hand, it may bring about his defeat surely if e were take action all. year ago any position that the president might have taken would have had the support of the people, because it would have been regarded THE American position. Since then though the president has led the people back and forth until weared they have fallen of ranks in disgust and it may be doubtful whether they could be recalled to the support of position which they would consider, not American position but ad- minstration position
 If the president chooses is forced to accept the question of the defensive armament merchant yes ses the issue by which nation is to be plunged into hostiltes, it will be the unfortunate all the issues that have been presented The Lusana Arabic and the Ancona offered him firm ground if he had elected occupy it unfinchingly for he was then standing on American rights under interna tiona law. But in the course of the negotiations a part of our rights waived modified so deftly that the American people did not if they cared how it was done though in effect the administration had largely yielded to the contentious Germans
 In the matter of defensive armament the Germans really have international law their side Since the declaration of Paris in 1856, merchantmen have had status under international law except as aux diary cruisers belonging the national This status tentatively recognized by depart ment less than weeks ago. Even before that when an Italian merchantmen the Port of New York armed witt. two guns government a; its suggestion inclined O regard it as a warshp.
 week ago. however, the government changed it's attitude and committed the very which it had reproached both Germany and Great Britain. With. out consultation with any of the beligerents or any neutral power it laid down entirely doctrine relating to armed merchant vessels. It invented the term defensive arma nent' and dened it broadly as of not more than six-inch caliber planted on the deck of a vessel
 The folly of such rule, of course, would prevent it's adoption in any international conference. It could have been devised only by a weak government ir panic seeking middle course, trying to satisfy both Germany and Great Britain; a to dsplease beth of them as slightly possible. If unarmed yes ses are not to be attacked by enemy without warning, why should they be armed? There are no longer pirates. There sea serpents or other denizens of the deep to menace them The armamnt be designed only for resistance against enemy yes ses and we had long agreed with Germany that
 vessel offering resistance flight may be destroyed
 Murder a Business
 In New York City murder has been reduced to a strict business basis One desirous of removing an