Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-01
I is lost. She has one chance remaining,
and she purposes to take it.

mere can De OILY one dASWSl oii ehN
part of the United States to the. new
German submarine proclamation, ant
that answer should be made. today
The German ambassador must receive
his passports forthwith and diplomatic
relations must cease at once. There
should be no procrastination until the
hand of the United States government
is forced by premeditated murder ant
depreciation. We have made
every concession to Germany that self
respect will permit, and all those con.
cessfons have proved to be in vain. It
acquiesce in resumption of ruthles:
submarine operations is to subject our.
selves to the losses of war while de-
priving ourselves of the means of self.
defense. That is intolerab1e. No peace
humiliation and degradation. No peace
is worth the surrender of a nations
sovereign rights. If Germany wants
war with the United States let Ger
many have war with the United States
Our hands are clean.
NEW YORK AMERICAN.
1t is time to walk warily, to decide
coolly. to be very sure of each steI
and very confident of each decision
dent that whatever the issue may be
the nation is Loyalty behind him. We
are profoundly hopeful that our own
peace can be maintained and that MIR
Wilson will find a way to do SO with
honor. But if it, is to be his lot to
find no other way to walk in honor
except with the sword in hand, which
God forbid. then we will all walk 10y
ally in that way with him.
SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN.
This means impossible conditions for
the United States. and no American in
his senses would consider for mo-
ment acquiescence in Germany's action
1t is grave question whether Presi-
dent Wilson should not hand to the
NEW YORK HERALD.
The major portion of the note pub
lished today is for consumption by the
German peoples. The American people
Of their government, in the truculent
of PrussianiSm that it can
deprive the United States of all those
rights which have been maintained so
notes.
Doubtless the idea of the Berlin gov
eminent is that it can bluff" an
American President into a disgraceful
surrender.
The Berlin government may be mis-
taken.
NEW YORK TRIBUNE.
We have submitted to outrage long
enough. Peace with Germany would
be purchased at too dear a price if it
is to be purchased by compliance with
the kaiser's latest insulting instructions
to us as to how we shall conduct our
commerce with the entente nations.
His western European blockade Is not
a whit more legitimate as war meas
ure than were his war zone" opera
tons in British and Irish waters. And
the ferocity underlying this new pre-
- H.
emit with military law is far more
brazenly avowed and gloried in. The
United States fought one war-the war
Of 1S12-in behalf Of the principle of
the freedom of the seas We cannot be-
lieve that it has so far lost its manhood
as to hesitate now that the challenge
has come which compel it to fight an
other.
NEW YORK JOURNAL OF COM
MERGE.
1t is certain that the United States
could never assent to any such course
as is threatened and submit to the coer-
cion proposed for restricting it's inter
course with the world. Is Germany
bent upon making an enemy of it, or
does she depend upon it as a virtual
ally in this scheme Of destruction at
sea and starvation on land as way of
escape from her own hopeless situa-
ton?
THE BALTIMORE AMERICAN.
The mailed fist cannot be shaken in
the face Of Uncle Sam with impunity
because Germany goes hungry. If Ger
many wants to better conditions, let it
make known a plan for peace that it is
willing to consider at a peace confer
ence.
GERMAN CORRESPOND
ENT.
The announcement by Chancellor Won
Bethmann Hollweg that Germany will
now resort to unrestricted warfare on
the sea cannot surprise us II we re-
member the final sentence of the Ger
man note of May, 1916, promising to
obey the rules of the law of humanity.
Germany said then that if the govern
ment of the United States did not sue
coed in compelling England also to
obey the law of humanity, a situation
might arise for which Germany must
reserve its freedom of action. 1t seems
that that situation has come about now,
and the name is privation of the women
and children of Germany.
BALTIMORE Sun.
The government is now facing the
most critical situation of the whole
war. We cannot temporiZe. There must
be no more illegal killing of American
citizens on the high seas. If insistence
upon this means break with the cen
trail powers, then the break must come
SIOUX FALLS Is. d. PRESS.
1t is uncomfortable that the United
states government. standing. as it con-
sistently has from the beginning OF
this war for obedience to law. can give
such tacit approval of lawlessness as
would be implied by obedience to Ger
many's suggestion.
PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC LEDGER.
1t is impossible to eXaggerate the
gravity of the issues raised by the Ger
man note, or to ignore the indisputabi
fact that it brings the United States
not only to the necessity of facing a.
immediate severance of diplomatic re
lations with Germany. but the very
verge of war There can be NJ
question of American rights and dutie:
in this grave emergency.
INDIANAPOLIS STAR.
A ruthless campaign such as indl'
Gated in the Berlin announcement, VIII
embitter the allied nations to such al
extent that peace efforts OF neutral!
are likely to fall on deaf ears
The war rapidly is degenerating into {
rough and tumble, dog-eat- dog scram
BILE, in which the rights of neutrals ant
the laws of humanity count for nothing
when they interfere with belligerent
CLEVELAND LEADER.
By the plain terms of the note giver
out by the German government, thu
United States is brought face to face
with a new peril of war. The note i.
plainly in direct defiance of the United
States. But the orders to submarine
commanders may be more restricted
than the terms of the note indicate
This possibility may decide the issue
between the United States and Ger
many.