New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-16

German behest and over trade issues.
since the same United States remained
silent on international law at the mo-
mont of Belgium, and has never uttered
one word OF protest over the crimes in
Belgium, the atrocities" which were
witnessed by an American citizen, who
gave Lord Bryce eyewitness testimony
for his volume.
The United States IS about TO be
forced into quarrel with the sea pow
ers 10 serve German ends, because Mr..
Wilson needs paper victory over Ger
many to save his political situation at
home, and he can only get the victory
by attacking the sea powers. The
United States is 20 enter the quarre!
on a pretcxt which is an utter sham
the pretext that it is the champion OF
international law, although it has suf-
fered without protest violations OF m
ternational law far graver than the
present, violations affecting life instead
, OF dollars.
Germany desires to embroil us with
Great Britain, and Germany is about TO
succeed. She desires TO use us against
Great Britain and TO leave US friend
less in the world, so that, when peace
comes she can make use OF us stlii
further to aid in her own recovery.
She desires to bind US TO her diplomacy
AMI to her politics; she desires TO
make us her tool. And she is about to
succeed in doing this because she Is
able TO turn 20 her own advantage the
domestic political situation IN Amerlca
and the political necessities OF Mr..
Wilson.
For the sake Of German scrap oi
raper" the United States is now to be-
come in fact. if not in terms, the ally
Of Germany. To pay for paper victory
in the matter Of the murder OF Ameri-
can citizens in return for German
statement that Germans are sorry that
/ they murdered American women AND
children, and will not do il again, we
are now 20 attempt TO break down the
British blockade; we ere 70 risk war
with half dozen nations. and we snail
get only this paper disavowai OF the
practice of murder, as pursued by Ger
many, because that practice has become
Improbable.
l.. {. Will Protect Bernstorf.
In order TO run no risk Of losing that
scrap of paper" we are to ignore the
! latest revelations Of what German rep
resentatives in this country have been
doing from the German Embassy. We
are TO disregard the evidence which the
State Department has OF Bernstorf S
other activities. We are, in fact, 10
protect Bernstorf against his own Of
! Tending and the consequences of his
exposure. 40 that Mr.. Wilson's diplo-
matte victory may be assured.
To get the Wilson administration out
of hole which it fell into because Of
its own folly the United States is about
to embark upon policy which will
leave il isolated in the world. and per-
haps make it permanently the tool of
German diplomacy. 1t is about to risk
q break with Great Britain and France,
with Russia, Italy and Japan, and 1t is
about TO do il when il lacks any ade-
quate means Of defending itself. not
alone from Japan, but from the army
that Canada has already under arms.
All that is now needed to Are the
train is that "scrap of paper" which
Count Won Bernstorf is to bring. Is 1t
small wonder that Washington believes
the imminent victory will prove the
most expensive in American history?