Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-08
What Germany Must Do

IF Germany admits as press reports of her
latest tender to this country represent her
as admitting. that the destruction of the
Lusitania was justifiable only as an act OF
reprisal and that the presence of American
citizens aboard the liner made 1t an improper
act OF reprisal, it may be that she has met
the substance OF President Wilson'S demands.
Abstractly. we have nothing to do. or
course. with the morality or humanity or the
lack OF either quality. displayed by any Of
the bellgerents. We may have our opinions
on the subject. but these opinions should he
expressed by the government only when our
own rights and the rights Of our nationals
are threatened OF involved. In the view of
most Americans. the destruction Of the Lust
tania. with the snuffng out OF a thousand
noncombatant lives. dastartlly murder.
irrespective of the nationality of the victims.
but this governments right to protest and 10
demand reparation springs from the innocent
American blood that then was shed
There never has been a particle of doubt
that the German admiralty directed the sink
ing OF the Lustania. 1t was an act of gov
eminent, and disavowal of the act itself would
be a mockcry. What have had right to
insist on. and what The Times Dispatch un-
derstands President Wilson has insisted on Is
disavowal Of the purpose TO destroy Ameri-
can life. This disav0wal to he accom-
panied by agreement 10 forsake the
methods Of warfare that placed neutras in
jeopardy. and indemnity for the original
wrong. This agreement has been made and
this indemnity promised. Only the extent OF
the disavowal remains in dispute
reprisal, in war is something that by its
very terms is beyond the fixed letter of the
law 1t is an act admittedly illegal under
ordinary circumstances even of warfare to
he justified only OF the ground that the enemy
has committed similar infraciuns of the in
formation code. 1t is not for the United
a in t1,,t ,ho Drit;.
council. against which it has itself persist
emily enthusiastically protested. excuse no re-
prisals on the part Of Germany. This nation
may regard particular reprisals as barbarous
aud unjustifed but it may intervene only for
the protection Of its own rights. Tina, is
what il has done.
Therefore if Germany admits that the de-
struction Of American life aboard the Lusi-
ania was whatever the term she en-
pioys--abandoninG the methods of sub
marine warfare TO which this loss of life was
attributable and paying indemnity to the
Families of the victims, she would seem to
satisfy the American case. This peope-this
government even--may believe and say that
TO torpedo this vessel was pure barbarism but
when our demands as to our own nationals
are met. our right OF action ceases That
TINS Is so is shown by the circumstance that
when allied steamships have been torpedoed
without warming, hut no American lives taken
OF menaced, this government has been silent
Germany should he required TO confess
specifically that the Americans slain when the
Lusitania was destroyed were illegally slain
Ihat is our interest in the matter, and II
must not be abandoned The rest of the con
troversy may safely he left 10 the arbitrameu+
OF the sword and the judgment Of history
Several days have passed since anything
has been heard from Greece AS they would
say in Montana, Queen Sophie has nut the