The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-01-20

whci the spectacle of some scores of WON
en- and children, American women anf
children among them. scattered over the
seas by a brutal and murdcrous attack bJ
n warship, their helpless hands out
stretched, appealing not to nationality but
10 humanity, would have moved the gov
eTnment and the people Of the United
States to a wrath and Indignation which
would have stirred the whole nation. In
those better and drawer days no American
could have been brought to believe that In
later years. in the presence of such a
massacre. an American administrator
would walt aupinc and complaisant, trust
ing that some technical preteXt might OBJ
solve 1t from the duty of protecting
American lives or putting II final end to
crimes that would make "A red Indian
blIsh.
A hundred years ago, when this country
was weak and lacking In all that wealth,
numbers. national greatness could provide
to strengthen It's hand, 1t did not hesitate
to venture on a doubtful war to perform
the first duty OF any state. How would 1t
have seemed to the men of that day II
they had been told that a time would come
hi the history of their country when
American women and children would be
murdered upon the high seas by a friendly
nation-God save the mark!-that the
massacre would follow a direct and ex-
plicit warning by the United States. and
SIX months after the crime there would
sttll be no disavowal, no apology. not even
80 much as a promise to pay the poor in
demnity which is the sole PREPARATION pos
siblc.
The mon, women and children OF the.
LuSItania Were massacred because the
German government believed that the
Wilson administration did not intend to
make good it's brave words with coura-
Eeous action. out of pity for prospective
victims tho German embassy in this coun-
try warned those who were tanning to
go down to the sea upon the Lusitania
that they would be murdered. They We're
murdered, and the best that their own
country could do for them was to write a
note, three notes. magnificent In the lofty
humanity therein expressed and futile IN
effect and in purpose. To these notes Ger
many made only quibbling let
ting the last go wholly unheeded and
leaving the United States to mourn its
murdered dead without hope of repara-
ton,
Today. after the Ancona killing. as yes
tcrdny, and all days since the submarine
blockade began. the American government
is sitting calmly in the face of all the evil
dence that is mounting of a hideous crime,
for which no echnical defence is q de-
Tense, eagerly. hopefully, w%atchfully wait
ing for some pretext, detail, surface cir
NNA'AFNSatANC IN lliSS tACiSc II L ulIl KIN
ing any action. 1t is thinking not about
the dead. the slaughtered women and chill
dren. not about the future perils and pos
Sthtliies for American women and chill
dren; it is thinking of the best way to es-
cape from the situation which only cour-
age could face and only deep and sincere
patriotism meet.
Across the water men. even women and
children. are giving their lives for the
Things that are worth living and dying
tor. They are making the supreme sac
rtflce out OF which arises national and
human greatness. Here in America, UNI
der the inspiral ton of Mr.. Wilson's adj
miEistratton, the American people are day
by day sbsorhing moro and more of the
cult OF cowardice and the gospel of self
ishness. 1t is better that some women
and children should be murdered than
that many men should risk their precious
lives. Ii is better that American honor
all that America mas meant in the years
or our national existence. should be dis
carded than that this country should put
TO the touch its comfort. it's prosperity. its
glorious peace, which is the peace OF
cowardice- This Is the New Patriotism.
More than all this. from day to day
there Is growing up the belief that there
Is something of ~super-nohility in this
American attitude. that there is something
OF htsher morality, more perfect religion
"a eA%ASLGlIS 44IAEISE. REFUSING TO nrOtPHt
your women and children. in being com
Portable rather than brave. and secure
rather than seif-sacrificing. just so long
IS 1t Is possible to find appropriate words
and pretty phrases. Just so long as il Is
possible TO declare q abstract devotion "a
high principles without taking a single
step 70 defend or maintain these priaci-
pies. This is becoming the American doc
trfne OF public and international policy.
Unhappily there Is only one result to
such 8 policy. IT does not Invite. resuay.t
oat murder it does not make Us respected.
II does not even keep Us safe. Today our
own country IS flied from one end 10 the
other with disorder and with violence |
waicn shows itself in fires. explosions.
ns9selns. Ships that sail from American
ports break into fame. An Austrian am
eass7Ger in this country becomes the can
tain OF seSitf0n. aa6 when sent home re-
csaTeS q decoration from his government
as the reward for his infanay. Alien
Tr1Hges OF our population are making alien
interests the test of their votes cast In
eur elections and openly boastiug of IL.
Abroad American citizens have been
Killed In Mexico with an IMMUNITY that
ssasgers belief On the high seas we have
had murder after murder. and each urur-
der has only provoked further literary er-
psr1Iaents and excursions At this present
n0ur no one sees the helpless women ana
cad6re0 sinking in the Mediterranean yse-
TINS 81 ; fury and madness beyond be-
Elefs all that n~lfllicass OF Americans are
aatnking OF. 50 the Washington Stsnatchss
wound indicate, Is s951s pretext that wilf
save 3 reluctant administration the diff
clllsy OF defending. mot the lives of Amer
1sa1s but the abstract principle sha mar
DER Is e NOT q crime. at the least an I'M
friendly aeesss
Let * take fun measure of the estate 20
TcGnr III ryy s Asrr--e = - r-r 49,