The Washington herald., 1917-03-22
What .Leading Newspapers
Say on the War Situation
DId Attack and sbore Det

-f (New York Herah1
Where the enemy must be met IL moi
timorously on our own littoral, but at
the thresholds from which for nearly two
years his assaults have been directed
against the freedom Of the ocean hig
ways and his freebooting attacks have
been delivered against every right that
In the old days Americans held sacred. 1r
1872 other ways, other manners, From the
first encounters our frigates-twelve only
against eight hundred-startled the world
with our prowess-a foe to be reckoned
with. but earned the admiring recognition
even of our enemies, as a nation that
would meet a blow with a blow and not
with the turned cheek of scriptural pa
cifsts.
For almost two years-that IL, afteI
one hundred and more years-our re-
sponses have been timidly uttered with
paper bullets of the brain that have ex-
cited the wondering pity of our friends
and the justified contempt of our enemies
So much for the place of meeting.
To seek out an enemy, not to avail
him; to be the challenger and not the
challenged. is the accepted philosophy OF
all sea war. Secondarily is the proper
preparation for coast defense, for the bes
defense of a country Is its advanced Nee
and the best defense Of a war ship 10 th'
quickness, strength and persistency Of the
battery. 1t Is well. therefore, that aftei
valuable months of delay we have ordered
and intend to acquire properly designed
and adequately fitted craft to hunt down
and sink the Prussian submarines and
stray but possible raiders, and that will
be the first instrumentalities of attack
But this hurried protection does not q
far enough.
An Immediate Problem.
New York SUM-
The Omitted States government VIII nnt
itself in q FOOLS paradise II 1t underes
Inmates the difficulty and danger ipheren
in the existence in this country Of Al
enormous body OF still unnaturahzet
Germans.
The persistence of racial prejudices, tn,
vitality of inherited traditions of loyalt!
to a country and its government hav'
been matters of daily concern to thos'
who have watched the attitude Of alier
Germans and many German-Americani
during the existing crisis. Perhaps 1t Ii
unjust to blame them. We are often mas
tered by our convictions rather than theil
masters. But It is clear enough that thu
German psychology does not lend itsel
readily to a complete change OF loyalty
And we have according to the last Fed
eral census $4,000 Gernan-born citizens
This problem Is one that must needs b.
met with tact, firmness and fairness
Great Britain bungled It for the frs
months Of the war, to her serious disas
ter. 1t should be. perhaps is, the subjec
OF immediate consideration by the Coun
ell of National Defense. We may hav'
dangers at hand more sinister than tn,
German army supposed to be forming II
Mexico.
PledEing Loyalty.
New York worldJ
Those few public officials and othert
who have refused to sign the pledges O.
loyalty to the President now being cir
culated freely have probably accomplish
ed what they most desired. 1t Is a yer!
cheap way to achieve a little notoriety
The reward they have won for themselves
will not be so lasting as to AFFORD then
great compensation.
1t is always easy for persons OF a Ger
tain type of mind to plead conscientiou
or other scruples for not doing wha
most people in circumstances like tn,
present do from a sense of decency ant
self-respect few individuals will al
ways be found to whom by nature loyalt!
to any principle, to any institution, t.
any form of government. is foreign. 1t Il
defect of heart and head fortuna tel!
not common among Americana.
But nothing could be more absurd thai
the pretense that compulsion has beer
somehow used to secure signers to a pub
lie expression OF loyalty. 1t is a form O
evasion that defeats itself. Loyalty tina
bubbles over words or that hesitate
and Is half-hearted in time of nationa
emergency is not worth registering oil
DaDer LOYALTY must he SDOntaDeOlls mi