TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1916-05-30
TEIE AR
BY RUPERT Montgomery, A1aa

but she rs not gong to drain England
for the actual lighting She viii let
| the other nations exhaust themselves,
withhold her forces both by land and
sea, and when the war is ended stand
in a position TO dictate terms 10 wasted
Europe as the dominant power,-if she
can. She has enjoyed the plumber Of a
score OF nations by paying her gold to
mercenaries 10 do the bloody work, on
the commercial principle that every man
has his price. Following closely in the
footsteps of Carthage, whole nations
are thrown a sacrifice to her gods Of
gold. Witness the Boer republics. As
Carthage was conquered for the good
of civilization, so England will be. The
strangest thing Of the whole war IS that
Frenehmen can be so blind 10 British
purposes. Perhaps the French generals
as well as tic Russian autocrats are on
the London pension list. Fifty years
from now American school children will
be punished for not knowing the date
on which the English army saved
France. Why all these notes from the
American government TO Germany, and
none to Englands Why our delicacy in
dealing with the English and our harsh
ness TO Germany? Are the Washington
authorities under the control Of Great
Britain2 On the rights of neutrals
much might be said. Does England re-
speet the rights of Chile, Argentina,
the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway,
Sweden, or the United States? She is
holding up millions Of dollars worth OF
goods belonging to each OF these cotn-
tries, and covers the case with the doc
trine of occasional contraband. Moth
ing is safe from her because she owns
the seas which American and other
vessels may only travers through her
courtesy. A few notes TO England,
worded in the same severe p~hraseology
as the notes to Germany, would bring
Britannia to her senses regarding
Southern cotton and Chicago beef. They
would incidentally help other ncutrals to
obtain the freedom of the seas.
The Carthagenians in Italy so equip
ped themselves with captured Roman
arms that they looked like Roman
troops. The Romans were not pleased.
They had not been overioyed when Pyr-
rhus brought his war-elephants into
line at Heraclea. The Cheyalier Bay
ard declared that any soldier caught
with a musket ought to be put to death.
Hand grenades were At first looked upon
as highly barbarous, yet whole regiments
were afterward proud to be known as
grenadiers. As science inyents super
ior weapons not only must formations
change, but opinions and laws with
reference to the use Of tho new weap-
ons must change. The submarine is
one of the latest of the new weapons.
There is, in international law as made
the controlling Influence Of the domi-
nant sea power, specific rules for the
search aud s~eiztfre of contfaband car
goes and b~elligercnt vessels. Life is TO.
be safe-guarded. When the German
government gave notice Of the subna-
rine blockade, a jeer OF derision- went
UP from England. How can a sub
marine halt an oocan-llner and search
her when ~dests9yers and cruisers
friendly to the liner are swarming
about in every direction? Impossible.
1t takes a submarine about . minutes
to submerge, in which time a destroyer
can go over 100 yards, depending upon
the types Of vessels under consideration.
The envelope OF a submarine is easily
penetrable by the projectile from a
three-inch gun, which fires twenty-four
shots a minute and carries five miles.
So the British looked upon the subma-
rine blockade as a farce. But they for
got that the cause of this blockade was
English violation OF international law.
The British blockade Of Germany is not
a true blockade, but rather an embargo
directed against the United States. The
British could look with complacency on
their own attempt to starve the civil
population Of Germany, breaking all
laws Of civilized war and reverting to
the barbarous practices Of the middle
ages, but could not understand the just
retaliation of Germany in avoiding the
usual procedure Of the right of search,
England has only to thank herself for
making the German submarines effec-
tive, for retaliation will always follow
barbarism in war. That a neutral power
like the United States should seek to
shield British vessels from attack, by
permitting American citizens to sail IN
der the British flag, is shocking. 1t is
true American citizens have the actual
right under international law to take
passage on a belligerent ship; but they
have not the moral right to exercise
their actual rights under the strained
relations and disordered conditions of
war, when such action might drag this
country into difficulties easily ~avoidable.
The American government ought, in de-
Tense before the world OF its high moral
ideals, to prohibit any American citizen
from embarking on board any ship not
flying a neutral flag, if said vessel is
bound for the zone of war. If our peo-
pie must 60 abroad, let them travel
under the stars and stripes, on steamers
not carrying contraband. Americans
have no more safety making a voyage
under the British flag, than they would
have journeying from Calais to BeIfort
in the Allied trenches. The false prac-
tices of the English in using neutral
flags, in arming merchant vessels, in
~contemptuous and insolens overload
ship of the seas, has put the submarine
blockade on to stay during the contin-
uancc of the war, or until England shall
herself rescind her infamous Orders in
Council. The submarine zQiH finally
bring Britannia to her knees and end
the agay.
If we wish to lead submarine war
fare into more humane channels"
let us take the matter up with England.
Certainly the presence Of Americans on
board will not act as insurance for the
freightage of munitions for the Allies,