The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-02
Policy of Ruthlessness On Part Of Ger
many Will Inevitably Drag the Uni
ted States Into the Conflict Is
Opinion of Keen Observer and
Accurate Writer On National
and international Affairs

Miami, Jan. ASKED by The MI
ami Herald for his opinion touching
the reply of the entente allies to the
German note, Col. Henry Watterson
said: at is wholly admirable. Moth
ing could be clearer, more convincing
and conclusive. AS a re-statement OF
the case against the kaiser it is time
" too-very timely-and in more
ways than one, for it joys the dropping
memory of the Indifferent among us
and answers the recent much misun-
derstood and miserepresented inquiry
addressed by the president to each Of
the powers"
"How misunderstood, Col Waiter
SOM" asked the reporter.
"In many ways" replied Col. Wat
terson, land both by many people and
many interests. The Wall street gam
blers interpreted it to mean war and
those of them who had an early bunch
from Washington cleaned up millions
nt W thN SohNANSNo',
that Mr.. Wilson has taken their bo-
gus peace bait and fairly chortled in
their glee. Naturally England did
not know what to think and France
was dazed Indeed the French people
were wounded 10 the quick that an
American president could see no diff
ference between the combatants
which was implied by a phrase not
merely awkward in itself but impossi-
BILE of exact translation. Now we are
assured that Mr.. Lansing knew just
what he was talking about when he
said that we ourselves might be verg-
ing on war and we are told that Mr..
Wilson, realizing this, was aiming to
divert, or at least to delay an danger
GUS crisis"
"War with whom?
with Germany, who else?" said
Col Watterson. ut is known that for
weeks the German attitude toward our
more recent notes of protest has been
unsatisfactory to the administration
at Washington. There is reason, to
surmise that the president at once de-
tected the sham character of the Ber-
lin Manifesto, regarding it war ma
neuvor and not a peace offer. He has
been advised variously that Germany
is preparing to renew the discontinued
but not Abandoned campaign of fright
fulness. That will mean a break Of
diplomatic relations which will quick
ly develope into war;"
"Will you expain more fully Colonel
Watterson, said the Herald reporter,
and the Colonel continued-"You we'll
recall that in the Sussex note, the Uni.
ted States served notice on the kaiser
that. unless the Imperial Government
should now Immediately declare and
effect an abandonment of its present
methods of submarine warfare against
passenger and freight carrying YES
sells, the government Of the United
States can have no choice but to sever
diplomatic relations with the German
Empire altogether, Commander Cher
adj, the United States Naval Attache
in Berlin, reported six weeks ago that
Germany was building numbers of sub
marines of very large and power
ful type and had from seventy to eigh-
ty such in course of construction.
What else is to be thought of this
than that Germany is about to resume
a ruthless submarine campaign and,
In that event. what other can we do
than fulfill our warning and give
Bernstein & Co., their passports?"
"And you think that this would be
the prelude to actual WARP" put in
the reporter.
Sure, said Col Watterson. "Too
long delayed at that The whole
German outfit in the United States
should have ben made to walk the
plank the day after the Lusitania went
down. That this was not forced upon
the president by overwhelming pub
lie opinion is proof to my mind that
too many of our people have fatty de-
genration Of the pocket. not to say of
the heart. We shall soon come how
ever to parting of the ways. Every
body will understand that medieval
feudalism through the Hohenzollerns
has thrown down the gage of battle
to modern civilization. That makes
an issue irreconcilable-an irrepressi-
BILE conflict-and It must be and will
be fought out to lis logical end, the
overflow of the Prussian military sys.
tenn represented by the general stan
at Berlin and the dissolution of the
right divine o. kings. represented by
the ruler who writes 1t 'Meinself and
0ott' Belgium and Serbia are to be
Yoinhfrpcod o~-~s--