The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-06
THE GERMAN REPLY.

alysis of the purport of the German
note at Washington before the Off
cial text was received and relayed to
the public. that many snap judgments
were pronounced upon it.
But the text of the note on the
issue involved in the contro-
versy, so far as it can be unraveled
from the labyrinth of words not at all
germane to this issue, and which form
the bulk of the reply, indicate pretty
plainly that there is not much change
in the situation between the United
States and Germany in respect to the
latter's methods of submarine warfare.
Except that Germany does not diff
ferentiate this time against merchant
promises not to submarine merchant
vessels, without warning and without
saving human lives, unless the ship
attempts to escape or offer resistance"
are the same sort of promises she has
made before in the same premises.
If the German reply is accepted by
the United States government as a sat
isfactory one to the demands that were
made on Germany by President Will
sons last note, il would be stretching
things considerably to hail it as any
thing of a diplomatic victory, great
or small. for President Wilson.
Rather does it merely mean that the
United States in the interests of con-
tinuing peaceful relations with Ger
many is disposed to give her another
chance to keep her word.
1t means that the much touted I'LL
timatum of President Wilson was, in
fact. no ultimatum at all. because
the German note keeps the door open
for further argument.
In other words, it is further evil
dence of the weak, the vacillating and
the therefore necessarily unsuccessful
diplomatic policy that has come to be
almost second nature with the Wilson
administration, whether it concerns
questions with Germany, with any of
the other European belligerents, or
even with the insignificant statesmen
of Mexico.
Thus the status of our relations with
Germany on this submarine question
is practically the same as it has been
for about a year. We have Germany's
promises that she will operate her sub
|
| international law and the dictates of
humanity.
These are the points we have been
contending for, it is true. But they
are the same points that we urged
after the destruction of the Lusitania,
| and we received then some promises
from Germany of practically the same
import as those she now gives. Ger
| many did not keep those promises
And the question is, will she keep the
ones to the same end that she has
now made?
Time alone can answer that cues
ton. And the only thing, apparently,
| that Washington can do. if the Ger
man reply is deemed to be satisfactory
and our diplomatic relations with
Germany continued. is to pursue its
usual course of Watchful Waiting.
What would happen in the event OF
Germany breaking her renewed prom
ises, it is impossible to forecast: such
is the apparent uncertainty of the at
tltude of president Wilson and his ad.
visers, their acts so seldom coincidins
with the tone of their words.
The German reply opens the wav
for the Kaiser and his clever states.
men to haggle and argue over any
act of their submarines that might
look on its face as a breach of faith
on their part. 1t might be an un.
laVoldable error, a regrettable mistake
or an ignoring of orders by a subna.
rine commander
And so the day of a definite de.
cision of our submarine controvers,
with Germany is still of the future.
The "crisis" between Germany ant
the United States still impends, will
al of its portentous uncertainty.
Reason for this can be attributed
only to the diplomatic flounderings o
our government as it is a present con
stituted.
Does any one imagine that such ;
situation would have existed for s.
long and be continued even now, o
perhaps been permitted to develop a
all, with Theodore Roosevelt in tn
White House?
And doesn't the United States nee,
. Theodore Roosevelt. and no one else
in the White House as soon as t ca
tangles that have been woven by tn
failure of Woodrow Wilson to NEE
the demands that these perilous time
: have made upon our nation, and ais
to meet the momentous questions tina
the future has in store for us?
/. OUR ROLE AFTER THE WAR.
The raaI test of American dem f