New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-24
After Ten Months.


America displayed during the Lusitania
negotiations no longer exists This Is
what Berlin feels at the present moment
What for any self-respecting American
citizen must be the consequent emotion.
German naval officers have murdered
American men. women and children. Dur
ing long months the German Government
has steadily declined to disavow the assas-
sination or confess TO culpability for the
crime. After long months the German
Government has by threats. by intimida-
ton. by deliberate recourse to "erroe-
ness" coerced a weak and cowardly Amer
lean Administration into abandoning all
demand for disavowal.
Now. when the United States Govern
ment has sacrificed honor. as 1t long ago
surrendered safety. the Berlin dispatches
record that German patience is exhausted.
What patience. Is it, then. an evidence OF
consideration. Of distinguished good WILL
that Germany should have permitted
Americans to protest. in words. at the
murder Of their women and children and
in weak and hesitating phrases complain
at the assassination of Americans by the
friendly and humane German nation?
Such is the situation ten months after
the Lusitania massacre. This is what
Mr.. Wilson's diplomacy has led to. The
murderers are appalled, at the prospect of
their moderation in permitting the reia-
tives of their victims to protest over the
crime. Their supreme patience IS eX-
hausted. and now. on the eve of renewing
campaign Of murder. they warn us, their
prospectivc victims. that we must no Ion
ger count on their forbearance; that the
next time they kill our women and chill
dren they will take it as an i'll token II we
bother them with protests.
This is the view of the United States
that exists in Berlin This is the appraisal
Of American courage that obtains IN Will
helmstrasse. Those who are too proud TO
fight" are too insignificant 10 talk. Those
who do not dare to act do not deserve 10
be heard in court or listened to on the
sidewalk.
The fatal folly of Mr.. Wilson'S course
becomes clearer day by day. But what
could demonstrate its blindness, its hope
lessness, more completely than this stray
sentence-"passed" by the Teutonic CEN
sor-German necessity" German policy,
German statesmen cannot be disturbed by
the tears or the tribulatiOns of those who
have seen their sons and daughters slain.
Since time began there never was
greater folly than to suppose that coward
ice is a defence and flight protection
for nation, large or small. For ter
months Mr.. Wilson has been running al
ton speed to escape duty and avoid honor
able danger. Now the danger Is not more
remote, but less. Now there is not greater
but smaller chance of peace.
To avoid international difficulties Mr.
Wilson has abandoned our dead turned his
back upon principles and upon American
policv. He has accepted German order:
and he has connived at the change of the
whole body of international law for the
benefit of the Germans. Seeking only i'm.
munity and a tawdry and sham political
victory, he has made American honor by.
word from one end of the planet TO the
other and brought grief 10 the hearts Of
millions Of Americans who know their
country is neither craven nor selfish.
And where has it profted the man OF
the nation? We have lived in the shadow
of Mr.. Wilson's terror of war for ten
months. We have seen one sacrifice after
another of life. honor, decency made to
placate German wrath-wrath provoked
because Americans should question the in
herent right of the German Government to
murder neutrals at pleasure. We have
seen our government cringing, creeping
skulking, and at the end of ten months is
there an American citizen who will venture
to assert we are further from war than on
the morning of May g, when we stood in
the presence Of our Lusitania dead?
We might have had peace, we might
have had war on the morning Of the Lusi-
tania. No man can know which. But if we
had done our duty we should have had our
own respect and the respect Of the world
and we should at the least have had nc
greater danger of hostlities than we have
now when every Washington dispatch
records the growing gravity Of a new
crisis"
And we shall not escape war by skulk-
ing or by running. Some time this Ad-
ministration will in its cowardice 90 be-
yond the uttermost limits of national toll
GRANGE There will suddenly flame up a
spirit that no Administration can restrain
and no group Of timid and selfish politi-
clans guide into safe channels.
Let the Germans sink one more ship
bearing Americans and Mr.. Wilson cannot
avoid war. But can he make the Germans
believe this? The peril Of war lies in the
fact that Germany, knowing the Admins
tration to be craven believes the American