Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-03-25

ioE-e- On the 2Sth of April the Amer
lean vessel Gushing was attacked and
crippled by a German aeroplane On
the LIST of May the American vessel
GulfiigLt was torpedoed and sunk by
German submarine and two or more
Americans were killed. yet nothing was
DONE On the 9TH of May the Lusita-
MIA was torpedoed and sunk by a Ger
man submarine and more than 100
Americans and LOO other noncom-
batants 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
depths, our governments 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 strict
accounta bility for any infringement of
those rights, Intentional or incidental"
and it declared that it 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
their free exercise and enjoyment"
Still nothing was done and long
and technical correspondence enSued.
haggling over petty questions of de
tail. every american note growing less
and less strong and peremptory until
the Arabic was torpedoed and sunk
and more American lives We're destroy
ed. and still nothing was done, and
the correspondence continued until the
allied defense against German subma-
rine warfare made it Improbable and
led to its abandonment, and the cor
respondence is apparently approaching
its end without securing even that par
tial protection for the future which
might be 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 it
has been futile. An admission of liza
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-
gan the controversy had produced no
effect, because they We're read in the
light of two extraordinary events.
One 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 in America.
'.Teo Proud to Fight"
| The other event was the strange and
unfortunate declaration of the presi-
| dent in a public speech in Philadelphia
| the fourth day after the sinking of
| the Lusitania that "a man may be too
| proud to fight" Whatever the Aus
trian ambassador was in fact told by
| the secretary of state. the impression
which he reported was supported by
| the events which followed. Whatever
the president did mean. his declaration.
made in public at that solemn time.
amid the horror and mourning of all
our 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 ia another theater of war-the
| Mediterranean-Austr and perhaps
! Turkey also. resumed the practice
The Ancona and then the Persia We're
destroyed. and more Americans We're
killed Why should they not resume
the practice? They had learned to be-
iieve that, no matter how shocked the
American government might be. its
! resolution would expend itself in
words. They had learned to believe
that it 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 inf1u-
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 We're wise
and creditable.
1 have said that this government lost
the moral forces of the world by not
truly interpreting the spirit of the
American democracy
The American democracy stands for
something more than beef and cotton
| and grain and manufactures: stands
for something that cannot be measured
by rates of exchange and does not rise