New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-15
FAMILIAR SIDESTEPPING
Berlin's Old and Often Violated Pledges
and Washington's Complaisance

anu " douiub.Vh ~""f
10 the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: In February, 1915, our goVerh'ne1'
sent the "strict Accountability warning "
Germany. in response to her houo'
ncutrals Of unrestricted submarine WsI."i'
against merchantmen. In March the rs''oa
was sunk. then the Gulhight, and on NAY
the Lusitania. 49,.
Recognizing tho indignation reused IN 1nf
country by that most atrocious cilhe' 'ne
President wrote a note 10 Germany review
ing the obvious reasons why suomarneS
could not fulfil the provisions Of interim
tional law regarding visit, search ana 0"P'~''
of merchantmen, or, in case Of sinAlhs ss'o
guarding the passengers and crew. ana Gun
GLIDING as follows: "Manifestly submarines
cannot be used against merchantmen as tne
last few weeks have shown, without an IN
cvitable violation Of many sacred prncipie'
Of Justice and humanity
This. II it meant anything, was notice that
the employment Of submarines against COM
mercal ships must stop entirely.
Germany practically ignored this com
munication, and after sinking the Armenian
and the Arabia, with loss OF American lives
on these ships, was notified by our govern
ment that any further act Of similar char-
ac,e, would be considered deliberately un-
friendly" ,,.
To this Germany replied with the assur-
ence that diners will not be sunk by our sun
marines without warning and without safety
Of the lives Of non-combatants, provided that
tho liners do not try to escape or offer re-
sistance."
This was advertised by Mr.. Wilson as
great diplomatic victory, although IN accept
ing it he completely abandoned his orlgihai
position that submarines could not be used
AZ all against merchantmen, and ignored inc
TACT that Gerrnany's assurances only apphed
to diners"
Then came the sinking Of the Ancons and
the Persia and tho murder of more Ameri-
can citizens, women and children as well as
men. No action by our government followed,
however, until the Sussex was destroyed IN
April. 1916, when Germany, after some alb
surdly dsngenuous statements, finally ad-
mitted responsibility for this particular out
rage
Mr. Wilson then repeated his former notice
to Germany that the "use OF the submarine
for the destruction of an enemy's commerce
is OF necessity utterly incompatible
with the principles Of humanity, the long
established and incontrovertible rights OF
neutrals and the sacred immunities OF non
combatants," adding that, II Germany con-
tinued TO sink merchant ships without
search, warning or protection Of life there
was but one course our government could
follow, and that was 10 "sever diplomatic re-
lations with the German Empire altogether"
Since sending this ultimatum a very large
number of merchant ships have been tor
pedoed, mostly without warning, and many
non-combatant lives destroyed, practically
without notice by our government, among
them the Arabia passenger ship with
women and children on board, which Germany
now officially admits was torpedoed without
notice or investigation as TO her character.
And now comes the sinking of the Marina.
torpedoed first, without warning of any kind,
and few minutes later blown 10 pieces by
second torpedo at short range while the
last boat was being launched by those still on
board several Of whom we're Americans and
all Of whom were either killed or drowned In
consequence. The surviving Americans char
acterze the attack as an act Of cold-blooded
murder, rs il undoubtedly was. Either Of
these supplies the occasion so definitely de-
scribed by Mr. Wilson for disseminating rela-
tions with Germany And what has Washing
ton done? Opened a discussion with Ger
many to determine whether the Marina was
Chartered 10 the Ehgllsh government, Whlch
II denies, or controlled by her owners, ignor-
ing our governments clearly stated position
that such a charter did not affect the rights
of mbatants-altogethe a consistent
record Of ignominious retreat
1t is suspiciously significant that we see in
the papers unofficial assurances that all dan
ger Of complications with Germany has been
removed; that the sentiment of the nation
about submarine warfare has changed and, in
fact, all the familiar preparations for side
stepping the issue and confessing finally and
definitely the utter emptiness and insincerity
Of all the warnings, threats and high sound
ing phrases about humanity and Justice that
we nave sent to Germany. c. H. L.
New York Dec II. 1916