Gilpin observer., 1916-12-21
HAS GERMANY A GOVERNMENTS

complications have again arisen II
THE relations between the United
States and Germ amy.
This is not die merely to the sink
Ing of the Maria ard tie Arabia
without warming, in wi late en- OF Ger
many's pledges TO the United States
but to Germany's off cial attitude 20
ward the Illegal acts of its suibmar'
inc comma ndersl
1t is easy to understand how an
overzealcMs or a pandc-stricken sub
ma-ire commander might allow his
imsg nation to get the better of his
Judgment, butt it IS impossible TO UNI
deretand how a great government
with sense Of homer and obligation
shovld be comp.sisant!y ind fferent
to fragrant d.sobed,e r ce of orders en-
the part of its servants.
Had the mmarder of the submar-
ine that sank tie Marina followed
the rules of cruiser warfare which
HRS government has formally adopted
in submarine oterat ems he could not
have mistaken tie ship for a trans
port. Neither could the commander
of the submarine .lll t sank THE Arabia
have made similar mistake. BY the
simple process of visit and search
they would have ascertained the char
acter of the vessel before they at
tackled. Wien they substituted con-
lecture fer fact they disobeyed the
orders of their government and
broke the pledge th?t Germany gave
to the United States.
Instead OF makirg an example of
them as warming to all ether COM
manders that German orders must be
obeyed and German pledges must be
respected the Imperial Government
adopts a policy of excuse and evasion
1t is prepared to make apologies and
reparation If the Marina and Arabia
We're not transr orts, hut it has no
who disregarded The ruTes of cruiser
warfare.
Apparently the Imperial Govern
mont takes the position that German
discipline is 10 be r!gidly enforced
when such enforcen emit is to The ad-
vantage of Germany, but must be ig
nored when Germ airy profits by a
disobedience of orders. 1t is very diff
ficult to deal with a country which
holds that view of S Obligations to
Itself and to friendly nations. 1t is
Impossible to believe in the good
faith of government whose officers
are permitted to flout its good faith
without fear of crafty.
In the Sussex case the German
government prom SD to punish tie
commander of the submarine that
made the attack All subsequent eff
fcrts ON the part of the United State
to discover the ane of tie COM
mander and the nature of the punish
mcnt proved futile. The, assumption
is that he wes ne er pi;n' shed at all,
although in the Arabic case tie rom
mander whose act was d,savowed
was mentioned by rame in phe cor
respondence with The State Depart
ment. Had there Kern adequate pun
ishment for the Sussex cS.ense Meth
err tire Marina nor tie Arabia wcMld
have been sunk w t'put warming The
lesson would have been remembered
and all commanGe;s would have TAX
en- the precautions required.
If the German submarine command.
ers are free to d s. hey orders, then
no responsible G vernnent exists in
Germany with WI; ch friendly neutral
nations may carry on negotiations or
ma'ntc in diploma re aticns. A gcv-
ernm mt which cannot compel its sub
crdtrates to ctey orders is net a
government at all. except in the mos
tee meal sense CT ihe term.-N. Y.
Word.