The Washington herald., 1917-02-21
What Leading Newspapers
Say on the War Situation
New York Sun.

Every American heart must have beaten
little faster and a little more proudly
on reading this utteranee OF steamship
Official whose company had decided that
its American ships should continue to sail
the seas:
I'VE believe in the good old American
way OF attending to our legitimate ousi-
ness We are not afraid of the German
threat. II our ship is sunk we are pre-
pared to meet the disappointment, but
we don believe the submarines can eaten
her. We have not asked any help from
the American government in the way OF
convoy or arms. What we will not sub
init TO is this prohibition by Germany on
legal trading with Europe. We are going
about our business as American ship
owners have done ever since we had a
country"
No hesitation, no incertitude, no ex-
plantations, and action without fear of the
outcome because not TO act would itself
be confession of wrongness or cowar-
dice or both
This man realizes the implications OF
watchful waiting in the face of threat.
The consequences OF watchful waiting are
rapidly becoming still more generally ap-
prehended. The most immediate conse-
Qnence is the excitement of a general con-
tempt, Would that 1t were the worst!
New York Times.
While the participation of the United
states In the European war may yet be
avoided, there is no longer any very seri-
Gus opposition. except on the part of the
most fAnatical pacifists, to the expedition
OF preparations for the defense of the
country in case of attack. The noisy op-
position to preparedness measures, which
persisted until the rupture of our diplo-
matte relations with one of the bellger-
ent countries and was, we regret to say,
shamefully effective in retarding the be-
ginning OF operations essential to our
safety, has all but disappeared.
The situation is perilous however, from
any sane point of view. We have too
many useful lighting ships laid up in
navy yards because Of the lack of sea-
men and available officers. The additional
$lJO0O0,Cu0 proposed to expedite shipbuild-
ing will be needed. Nothing has yet been
done toward the construction OF the bat
tie cruisers and scouts New destroyers
and submarines can be built quickly if We
ever get down to the work. There are
some encouraging signs. The railroad
companies and large industrial concerns
have shown a disposition to do their
share toward the much needed mobilza-
ton. The business men in the newly
formed Council of National Defense have
been quick to realize that the tendency to
delay, pred by custom among bureau and
department heads, is detrimental to the
efficiency of their body. They are taking
steps to expedite cooperation with the
railroads and manufacturers in the indus
trial and transportation mobilization.
A Degraded Patriotism.
New York WorId.
Mr.. Bryan is a good man who lives in a
world that does not exist. When he tells
us that the way to avoid war with Ger
many is through his peaco-treaty plan. he
might as well tell Us that the way to
avoid sorrow and suffering and death s
not to be born
Mr. Bryan asks:
rs ii unreasonable or unpatriotic TO
urge as a means of preventing war the
employment of a plan urged by the Pres
ident and approved by the Senate. the
United States and nearly all the rest Of
the civilized world?"
The answer to that Is that the Bryan
peace treaty plan was never ratified by
Germany. and that even If it had been ac-
cented by tho imperial government. Ger
many is making war upon the United
States in defiance of it. American ports
are blockaded by German submarines
operating in the Atlantic. American
ships are tied to their piers. Those that
sail take the risk of being sunk with
out warning. their passengers and crews
to be murdered in cold blood by German
submarine commanders.