The Washington herald., 1917-02-01
The Day at Last.


will make the shipping of the world
her prey. Her U-boats are to sink
at sight. No quarter will be asked or
given. Any ship bearing an enemy
flag will be sent to the depths.
In the light of what has gone be-
fore-in the light of nearly two years
of patient, tolerant treatment by the
American government following the
Lusitania crime-it will be seen how
little effect the vaunted moral sua-
sion" of the United States has had
with Germany when the big test
came.
Forty-cight hours ago The Wash
ington Herald printed a clcan-cut
story of the terms of the note proper
with its acceptance of peace with
out victory" Yesterday morning the
armed ship issue famed up in sinister
fashion, anticipatory of the formal an
nouncement from Berlin.
The United States is faced with a
situation which requires prompt ac-
ton. The ruthless campaign against
shipping is slated to open today. This
government can do one of two things:
Dispatch a note to the German for
| eign Office saying that the first Ameri-
can life lost as the result of the new
policy means an automatic break Of
relations between the United States
and Germany.
Adopt an even more drastic course,
and state that the formal announce
ment of the policy-including a dis
tinct violation of the Sussex pledge
given only last April, and contraven-
ing the American position regarding
armed merchantmen-is in itself suf-
fcient to cause rupture.
1t is a situation which the Wilson
administration has strained every
nerve to avert. Even at the cost of its
own prestige it has been lenient with
Germany, and its pacihcatory policy
Mp to the present has succeeded.
American influence threw Won Tir-
pitz out of the admiralty. 1t has not
been sufficient to prevent him or his
policies from coming back in again.
That is the whole story.
The pressure of the British naval
blockade has driven Germany to des-
peration. Food supplies have run so
low in the central empires that an
heroic remedy must be tried. When
the Kaiser made his first peace move
it was predicted here that, in the
event of its failure, it would be the
forerunner of a new campaign of
"frightfulness" and ruthlessness. The
prophecy has come true on schedule
time. German submarines are to run
amuck in the Atlantic, subject prac-
tically to no restraint whatsoever.
Only neutral flag will hold the tor
pedo back Passenger ships, cargo
carrying ships are to enjoy none of
the rights or the immunities they
have established through centuries of
carefully wrought-out marine law.
1t is a measure of reprisal of so
desperate a character that it marks
the zenith of Prussianism. Germany
hopes in some way to avoid a break
with the United States, hopes that
its recent peace propaganda has
swung pacihst opinion to her side in
this country to hold the administra-
ton back. But it is plain to see that,
however much the President and
Secretary Lansing desire to avert
breach, they cannot do so without
qualification of themselves or with
out forcing Germany to retreat from
its policy, which seems to be out of
the question.
The German note itself is quite
transparent as to the German pro-
cesses of mind. Germany wanted
peace, and has been denied it by her
enemies. Therefore she feels entirely
justified in adopting a sea warfare
which civilized nations have outlaw
ed. England must feel the pinch of
starvation as we'll as Germany, no
matter what neutral rights are in
vaded or what law is broken.
The big question is: Will the new
form of "frightfulness" succeed?
That it will succeed in biockading
England seems impossible. That it
may succeed in cutting down Brit
ish shipping to perilously low mar
gin and cause a dangerous food
shortage m the United Kingdom is
possible. The new German unders.a
fleet of 800 subs is going to Civ, the
entente many an anxious day before
long, no matter how successful and
brilliant a defense AGAINST them is
established.
That it will throw the United States
| into the Ian of the allies is a factor