The Washington times., 1916-02-15
OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD ARMED
MERCHANTMEN

Jney Will brchO hEEncu ncNCnoie
ships as warships, and sink them on
sight, without, warning or provision
for the safety Of ships companies. I
It is strongly and with seeming
authority intimated that the Wash
ington Government will acquiesce in
this rule.
That position was indeed fore
Swallowed when in one Of the ,Lusi-
tania notes our foreign Office insist
ed that merchant ships must not be
sunk without notice and safety to
human freight, provided they did not
resist or try to escape. The pres
ence of arms is presumptive evidence
Of intent to resist II opportunity af-
fords; 80 Germany goes but a step
farther in acting on this presump-
ton.
We are told that the foreign Office
has consulted with navy authorities,
and is disposed TO accept the Ger
man dictum, on the ground that 1t
lays down a rule that would work to
the advantage Of this country in case
Of war. For, It is pointed out, Ger
many is now an inferior naval pow
er, incapable Of making an effective
fight unless permitted TO use her
submarines to the utmost. The
United States in a war Of the future
might also be the inferior naval
power, and need, just as Germany
does now, the privilege Of employing
submarines to lthe last extent.
This is not all. It is pointed out
that our great extent of coastline ex-
poses us in a peculiar way to hostile
attack by sea. An enemy might en-
ploy converted or armed merchant
men for the purpose Of raiding our
coasts, and infict great damage on
us.
These arguments will bear careful
examination. They should receive 1t
before this Government is committed
to any policy Of giving free reign to
submarine atrocity.
Take first the argument that the
United States, as an inferior naval
power, would need, in war with a
, superior power, the right to employ
every possible instrument to Grip
pie the enemy. First must be con-
sidered whether there is occasion To
fear q war with a superior naval
, power. There is only one country
which should be rated as superior To
! this. It is Great Britain. True
! President Wilson has told us that
. this country now ranks fourth on the
sea. There are today, then, thret
a superiors, But it is only as day
/ before yesterday that we held the
proud rank of second at sea; it neet
be only as tomorrow when we shall
resume that rank. We need not re
main in fourth place. We ough
never to have fallen so low, and thu
y country will not consent to sta!
a there. It will insist, it is insisting
y on prompt measures to restore us u
! second place. The President is him
n self urging measures designed to &C
complish this end. There is no pc
: litical party in the land which woul,
. dare record itself as opposed to thi
" ambition.
So, assuming that our norma
" status is second among naval pow
i ers, the question is whether we nee
4 to prepare ourselves to fight the on
h superior naval force, that of Grea
, Britain. Are we going to accep
+ the most barbarous rule of martin
! warfare, in the expectation tina
= some day we shall need to invok
q that rule in fighting England? Ar
we going to send our submarines on
If to sink Lusitanias and Persias?
> The answer to such a question
,s to be found right at our hand. W
IS will never have a war with England
,s unless we become the aggressor an
in go out looking for trouble. W
ye would be fools to fight England, an
# England would be fool to fight u
g. First, for us to attack England woul
10 be to ALLEVIATE British support frol
a. the Monroe doctrine. Second,
ID would be to invite disaster by rel
a son of the superior British 81
at power. Third, England would suF'
le still greater disaster because 81
90 would surely lose Canada at the er
H. of such a war. We would stuff,
A. fearfully in the beginnings; but
he the end the empire would lose
he most priced possession. After Il
struggle, we would be PROSTATE, Il
eg Americas would be the prey to al
is adventurous Macmillan, and Il
to British empire would be a wreck.
to would be the end of Anglo-Sax,
he leadership in the world. Neither si
ne. could gain anything worth the ha
he ing; both sides would lose that viii
q. lcouId not ha reatorad