Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-01-21
ION THE SEA OUR WORD IS

condescendS to reply to the Amer
lean note of October 21st, 1915, or
even that he should reply to it at
all, says Bernard III. Ridder in one Of
his recent writings on the war. The
impending action Of the British Gov
ernment in taking the management
of its blockade" out of the hands OF
the Foreign Office and entrusting it
to those OF the Admiralty, for the
avowed purpose of making it
tighter Instead Of looser," is all the
answer the Congress should require
to move it to action which will bring
Great Britain TO her senses. The
supercilious manner in which this
country is told by the inspired Lon
don press that it really is none Of
our business what the British Gov
ernment does in contravention OF
our rights is sufficiently impertinent
to meet with the ready appreciation
OF The Tribune, which, like its Lon
aon counterparts, cannot conceal it's
peevishnessi over the happy ending OF
our controversies with the Central
Powers,
There would seem to be two prin-
cipal motives underlying the de-
termination of the British Govern
nient to increase the stringency OF
its BLOCKADE" 1t has discovered
that the war Is costly and that 1t is
time il gave the British people some
show for their money; and it has
made up it's mind TO ayenge itself
upon this country for not having
embroiled itself in a war with Great
Britain,s enemies The London cor
respondence published in the local
press during the last few days re-
veals a keen disappointment in Eng
land that its vaunted fleet has not al
ready starved every woman and
child in Germany. The British navy
is Britain's boast Yet "our fleet
is-a great part OF it--idle." In just
what way the Government expects
the British navy to starve Germany
any more efficiently than 1t is doing
al the present time--which, as
matter Of fact is not very efficient in
most respects-~-it is difficult to see,
unless il intends sending II into the
Baltic and overland to command the
neutral borders OF the Empire. 1t
has very efficiently prevented us
from exercising our right to trade
with Germany, and that il about the
worst 1t can do from the outside
An the Governments talk Of letting
"the navy do it" may net it a little
more sympathy on the part Of the
public, but ii can't be expected TO
accomplish very much more. There
Is no good reason to believe, how
ever, that this sympathy Will be
sought in even greater fold by rep
resenting this latest act Of indefens-
iDle arrogance as q reply TO the pre-
sumption Of this country In remind
ing Downing Street that there is
such Il thing still recognized among
civilized nations as international
law. THAT this is the case is evi-
dcnced by the Insulting illusions 70
the action OF our Government in as
serting its rights under that law
which crop out in every column OK
the London press.
The final turn which our negotia-
tions with Germany and the Dual
Monarchy have taken is a bitter dis
appointment to Great Britain. The
British Government sees It's hope
dashed and it's intrigues frustrated
to involve us in q conflict with tho
Central Powers. 1t regards with un
mingled displcasurc the prospectc OF
being called upon again, and this
time by determined Congress, to
answer for its Illegal cocnduct in re-
spect OF American trade. "Wc must
not claim that the American people
orc on our side in the conflict" says
the Westminster Gazette, an Asquith
organ, "but we find it difficult to be-
licye that the great democratic
people in the New World will allow
their influence TO be used to disarm
the democratic peoples OF the Old
! World in their struggle for liberty
against military domination. Just
al the present moment the people OF
this country are concerned not SO
! much with Hypothetical evils OF the
military domination" of Germany
and her allies as they are with the
very real and tangible evils Of the
naval domination oil Great Britain.
They judge the democracy OF the
Old World by its acts--not by its
words fOur right to prevent sup
plies from reaching the enemy Is
absolute" says the Pail Mall Ga
zatte, another influential political or
gan. Hand ii tho process assumes
fresh DISCUSSES, ii is the business Of
international law to strip them or
and not to be fcttcred by the word
ing of us former wording" "On the
sea our word is law!" says Com
rnander Bellairs IN yesterdays Lon
don Times.
These and similar assertions OF
Britain's absolute right to rule the
seas as suits her own and no one
else's interests may appeal TO the
British people as no more than the
quite Unnecessary restatemcnt OF a
generally accepted truism. on this
side Of The water, however, they Will
win few friends for the democratic
peoples OF the Old World in their
struggle for liberty against military
| domination The English have
often been called a nation Of hypo-
critics: however that may be, they
1 have shown themselves very OBJ
| tuse nation il they think that they
can fool all the American people all
I the time by their cant about liberty.
American interests forsooth!"
rays The Nautical Magazine, "a
1 Technical and Critical Journal for
The Omcers OF the Mercantile Marine,