The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1916-04-06

SITuttlun or WafSlllpS already hutnOr-
lied has not been pressed and In some
cases after long delay has not even
been begun:
If an increase If our C0untry's power
to defend itself against aggression Is
authorized by the present congress It
must be largely through Republican
votes. because all the traditions and
convictions of that party are for ma.
tional power and duty and honor
As to the policy of threatening words
without deeds:
When Germany gave notice OF her
purpose to sink merchant vessels on
the high seas without safeguarding the
lives Of innocent passengers our gov
ernmcnt on the 10th Of February one
year ago Informed Germany In unmis
taxable terms that In attacking and
| sinking vessels Of the United States
and In destroying the lives Of American
citizens lawfully travelling upon mer
| chant vessels OF other countries she
would act at her peril They pledged
the power and courage Of America,
with her hundred million people and
her vast wealth, to the protection of
her citizens. as during all her history
through the days of her youth and
weakness she had protected them.
On the 2Sth OF March the passenger
steamer Falaha was torpcdocd ny n
German submarine and an American
citizen was killed, hut nothing WAS
done On the 2Sth Of April the Amer.
icaG vessel Gushing was attacked and
crippled by a German acroplane. On
the lSt Of May the American vessel
Gunight was torpcdocd and sunk hy n
German submarine and two or more
Americans were killed, yet nothing was
done. On the 9TH Of May the l.uSita
| mia was torpcdoed and sunk 10y Il Ger
man submarine ana more than 100
Americans and l,lOO other nOnc0m.
batants were drowned, The very thing
which our government had warned
| Germany she must not do, Germany
did Of set purpose and In the most con
| temptuouS and shocking way. Then,
when all America was stirred 10 thc
depths, our government addressed an.
other note to Germany. 1t repeated
| It's assertion Of American rights and
renewed It's bold declaration of pur-
pose. 1t declared again that the Amer.
lean government must hold the I'M
perial German government to Il strict
accountability for any infringement Of
! those rights. intentional ar Incidental,
and it declared that il would not omit
| ans word or any act necessary to the
performance of its sacred duty Of main
tulning the rights of the United States
and its citizens and Of safeguarding
their free exercise and enjoyment"
Stll nothing was done and a long
| and technical correspondence cnSucd
hagglng over petty questions of de.
tail, every American note growing less
aud less strong and percmptory until
the Arabic was torprdocd and sunk
and more American lives were destroy
| ed, and still nothing was Gone, and
the correspondence continued until the
! allied defense against German subma-
rinc warfare made 1t Improbable aud
led to its abandonment. and the cor.
rCspondcnrc Is apparently approaching
its end without securing even that par.
lial protection for the future which
might hp found IN an admission that
the destruction Of the LllSitania was
forbidden hy law. The later CORE.
spOndcnce has been conducted by our
state department with dignity. but II
has been futile. An admission of liza.
lility for damages has been secured
but the time for real protection IL
American rights has long since passed
The brave words with which we he.
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
crnmcnt that when the American note
Of Feb. 10 was received he asked the
secretary Of state. Mr.. Bryan, whether
1t meant business and received an all
swer which satisfied him that It did
not, but was intended for effect nj
home IN America.
"Too Proud to Fight"
The other event was the strange and
unfortunate declaration of the prcsi'
dent in public speech In Philadelphia
the fourth day after the sinking of
the I.usitania 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 he 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
citizens I'm the exercise Of their just
rights, and throughout the world the
phrase "too proud TO fight became a
hyword Of dcrision and contempt for
the government of the United States.
Later. In another theater Of war-thc
Mediterranean-Aus and perhaps
Turkey also, resumed the practice.