Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-02-06
AmericaniSm,
Undivided and UnaILOyed.

- justice and honor allowed. Grave are the
contingencies which this step involves the country
like Congress- approves it with oneness of mind
and with oneness of heart The American people
convinced, not in passion but in sober earnest
ness, that continued relations with the German
Government would have been blot their ma
tons good name if not indeed a surrender of its
sovereignty They convinced that further par
leying the submarine issue-which in essence
is issue between barbarism and civilization
would have weakened the influence and the very
character of the United States for the present
alone but for age to come. Thinking thus and
feeling thus, the American people united today
they have been the verge and in the midst
of national danger and duty. The hour calls for
Americanism, undivided and unalloyed. There is
but one Government and one flag to which any per-
son in this country allegiance, if he be
worthy to remain within our borders. Standing
soidy behind the President, the nation awaits any
eventuality with iron resolution.
If Germany had declared outright war against
the United States she could have closed the
door to diplomatic discussion more peremptorily
than she has done by her sweeping edict for sub
marine pilIage. She threatens American ships
with destruction and American citizens with death
if they venture to exercise their rights upon the
high seas. She repudiates her pledges to the
she invaded neutral Belgium. She casts off all
semblance of respect for the sovereignty of the
United States and bids it, in effect either to sub
NIT to German dictation or take the lash of Ger
terrorism.
There is nothing left to discuss between Wash
ington and Berlin After almost two years of
marvellous patience and heroic effort to maintain
peaceful and honorable relations with Germany,
Government finds all that it has stood for in
that long controversy fouted and defed AS far
back February 10, 1915, the President, in re-
ply to Germany's first war zone" manifesto, de-
clared that ito attack and destroy any vessel en-
tering prescribed area of the high without
first certainly determining its belligerent nation
ality and the contraband character of it's, cargo,
would be an act . Unprecedented in
naval warfare" and that for such acts, the United
States would be constrained to hold the Imperial
German Government to strict accountability"
little less than month later a U-bcat tor
pedoed the Lusitana without warning, and more
than a hundred American lives sacrificed to
German ruthlessness The President spoke this time
more emphatically than before, demanding dis
avowal, reparation ESQ far reparaton is possible
for injuries without measure'D and that the Ger
man Government take immediate steps to prevent
the recurrence of such act 1t this note,
delivered May IS, 1915, which concluded with the
memorable warning that the United States would
not omit ANY word act' necessary to maintain
the rights of its citizens and safeguard their
exercise and enjoyment. severance of dplo-
matte relations and its grave possibilities
averted by Germany's promise, given grudgingly
and after an infinite deal of quibbling not to at
tack liners without warning and due pro-
vision for the safety of passengers and crew But
the most emphatic, the conclusive urterance from
Washington this issue was the note of April Is,
1916, concerning the destruction of the steamer
Sussex. That note, properly the last word of argu
ment and admonition from this side, declared:
If it is still the purpose of the Imperial
Government to prosecute relentless and in
discriminate warfare against vessels of COM
merce by the use of submarines without re-
gard to what the Government of the United
States must consider the sacred and indis-
putable rules of international law and the ,
universally recognized dictates of humanity,
the Government of the United States is at last
forced to the conclusion that there is but
course it can pursue. Unless the Imperial
Government should Immediately declare
and effect an abandonment of its present
methods of submarine warfare against pas
senger and freight carrying vessels, the Gov
eminent of the United States can have no
choice but to sever diplomatic relations with
the German Empire altogether.
What more could our Government say? What
less could it do-now that its ultimatum is defed
than act promptly up to its word?
Germany has provoked this situation in the
same conscienceless spirit in which it precipitated
the war AS it rejected pacific proposals in the
last fateful hours of July, 1914 so it has thrust
aside friendly counsel at the very moment when
hopes for fair settlement of the war in the not
distant future were dawning. The United States
stood ready to exert it's influence in behalf of
peace that would be just all the nations concern
ed a peace that would rest not on the sword of
victory, but the vouchsafement of national
rights and human freedom by 1.-The organized ma
jor force of mankind" The New York World
c6ngentIy argues that if Germany had answered
President Wilson's peace note of December Is as
frankly and definitely as the Entente Powers ans
wsred it, negotiations almost inevitably would
have followed. However that may be, it is certain
that if Germany had shown any degree of appre-