The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-03-30

IcAD NeSSGI NuSuhe wis dttdVAeu NIV
crippled by Il German aerorlane On
the list Of May the American vessel
Guitiight was torpedoed and sunk by q
German submarine and two ar more
Americans were killed. yet nothing was
done. On the 9TH Of May the Lusita
MIA was torpedoed and sunk by Il Ger
man submarine and more than 100
Americans and l.1OO other noncom
batants were drowned. The very thing
which our government had warned
Germany she must not do. Germany
lid Of set purpose and In the most con
temptuous and shocking way. Then.
when all America was stirred to the
depths. our government addressed un.
other note to Germany. 1t repeated
it's assertion Of American rights and
renewed its bold declaration Of pur.
pose. 1t declared again that the Amer
lean government must hold the Inn
perial German government to strict
accountability for any infringement Of
those rights. Intentional or incidental"
and it declared that it would not ''omit
any word or any act necessary to the
performance Of its sacred duty Of main.
tanning the rights of the United States
aud its citizens and Of safeguarding
their free exercise and enjoyment"
Still nothing was done and long
and technical correspondence ensued.
haggling over petty questions Of de.
TAIL every American note growing less
and less strong and peremptory until
the Arabic was torpedOed and sunk
and more American lives were destroy.
ed and still nothing was done. and
the correspondence continued until the
allied defense against German subma.
rine warfare made it Improbable and
led to it's abandonment. and the cor
respondence is apparently approaching
it's end without securing even that par
tial protection for the future which
might he found in an admission that
the destruction Of the LusitAnia was
forbidden by law. The later CORE
srGndence has been conducted by our
state deIl;,l 'ment with dignity, but it
has been futile An admission Of lin
bility for damages has been secured.
| but the time for real protection to
| American rights has long since passed
| The brave words with which we be-
gan the controversy had produced no
effect. because they were read in the
light Of two extraordinary events
One was the report of the Austrian
ambassador. Mr.. Dumba. to his gov
eminent that when the American note
of Feb. 10 was received he asked the
secretary Of state. Mr.. Bryan. whether
it meant business and received an an
swer which satisfied him that it did
not. but was intended for effect at
home in America,
"Too Proud to Fight"
The other event was the strange and
unfortunate declaration Of the presi.
dent in public speech in Philadelphia
the fourth day after the sinking OF
the Lusitania that "a man may he too
proud to fight" Whatever the Aus
trian ambassador was in fact told by
the secretary Of state. the impression
which be reported was supported by
the events which followed. Whatever
the president did mean. his declaration
made in public at that solemn time.
amid the horror and mourning Of all
our people over the murder of their
children. was accepted the world over
as presenting the attitude of the Amer
lean government toward the protection
of the life and liberty of American
ritizcns in the exercise of their just
rights. and throughout the world the
phrase too proud to fight" became a
byword of dnriSion and contempt for
the government of the United States
Later. in another theater of wharf.-the
Meditcrrancan-Am Austria. and perhaps
} Turkey also. resumed the practice.
The Ancona and then the Persia were
destroyed and more Americans were
killed Why should they not resume
the practice: They had learned to he
lieve that. no matter how shocked the
, American government might be- Its
resolution would expend itself In
words They had learned to believe
that it was safe to kill Americans. and
the world believed with them.
Shaking Fist and Finger.
no man should draw a pistol WHIT
dareS not shoot. The government tI;l'
. shakes it's fist first and its finger after
: ward falls into contempt. Our dip'o
macy has lost it's authority and nhu
encc because we have been brave II
words and irresolute in action. Mel
may say that the words Of our dipl"
matte notes were justified: men ma!
say that our inac,ion was Justified bu
: no man can say that both were wis'
and creditable.
have said that this government los
the moral forces ut the world ny no
u truly interpreting the spirit Ut tn
American democracy
r The American democracy stands to
$ something more than beef and cotto
Il and grain and manufactures: stand
d for something that cannot he measures
d by rates OF exchange and does not ris
l. or fall with the balance Of trade tn
American people. informed by thei