The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-11-01
THE MARINA CASE.


as that presented by the sinking of the
Marina. With the Republicans attacking
him on the very eve of election because of
his efforts towards peace in the past, and
with the Germal-born population solid
against him, nothing would be easier, for
an INSCRIPTIONS man, thinking only of him
self, than to sever diplomatic relations with
Germany, seize all interned ships, put the
foreign-born opposition under surveillance,
and ride into power on the shoulders of the
war party.
Instead, however, the president, with his
characteristic patience, still following the
quest of peace, is keeping his mind open
until definite investigation has shown
him the right. Though recognizing frank
ly that the sinking of the Marina presents
the gravest situation that has arisen since
the torpedoing of the Sussex, it is easy to
see that President Wilson has his eye fixed
on the only ray of light that is able to
pierce the international clouds; Consul
Frost's (of Queenstown qualification of
his report of the disaster as provisional
According to the consuPs first despatch,
the Marina, "a horse transport with a mix
ed crew of the British and Americans
a ship not under charter to the British gov
eminent, was sunk by submarine gunfre
without warning, resulting in the death of
number of the crew. There were fifty
a1nericans in the crew, but whether or not
any have been killed, is not yet known.
If the Marina was sunk without warn
ing. then Germany has broken her pledge
to the United States, and there can be but
one. recourse. That pledge was couched III
the following words, written in reply to
Secretary sLansing's note on the Sussex
case:
"The German government, guided by this idea,
notifies The Government of the United States
that German naval forces have received the fol-
lowing order:
"Tn accordance with the general principles of
visit and search and the destruction Of merchant
vessels lecogni zed by international law, such
| sells, both within and without the area declared a
naval war zone, shall not be sunk without warn
ing and without saving human lives, unless the
attempts to escape or offer resistance
| The American note, in reply to which
the above was written, stated unequivocal-
| ". in its closing words, that Unless the
Imperial Government should now imme-
diately declare and effect an abandonment
! of its present methods of submarine war
fare against passenger nd freight carrying
vessels. the Government of the United
States can have no choice but to sever Dip
lomatic relations with the German Empire
altogether"
Germany admitted in the Sussex case
that its U-boat commander had exceeded
his Instructions. and apologized. In view
of the increased submarine activity of late
however-an activity by the way which
The Journal forecasted in the early days of
October when Chancellor Won Bethmann-
Hollweg made his famous speech in the
| Reichstag, it is not conceivable that the
present crisis could be CLOSED over by call
ing it an accident and offering an apology.
IF the Marina was sunk without warm
ing, the act was international; and rela-
tons, already strained so many times. will
be broken OF late the rumor has been SO
persistent that Germany desired to embroil
the United States in the war, that there
may be method in the madness after all.
With the United States involved, the kaiser
could say very gracefully that he could not
fight the world, and save his face while SUI
ing for peace. But this is mere conjecture;
in the meantime, we must take example by
the patience of the president-no longer a
mere nominee, but the representative of the
nation-and await the result of the investi-
cation.