New-York tribune., 1917-07-16
Waking Up

Better late than never. The Tribune's
campaign 70 stop the marine insurance
news leak TO Germany has borne fruit in
President Wilson's proclamation prohibit
ing the German companies here from TAX
ing out either ordinary marine or war risk
marine insurance.
It.was a bunder to permit enemy sub
jects in charge Of German insurance con-
Germs here to obtain free access to our
shipping secrets either by writing policies
Of their own on vessels leaving our ports or
by assuming risks taken by other non-Ger-
man companies. With no adequate CEN
sorship on cable messages. no general
censorship on mail and no control of enemy
agents leaving our ports for Mexico or
some other possible base for German wire
less operations, our cargo ships have been
needlessly exposed TO attack by submarines
warned in advance of their destination and
their defensive armament. Only the other
cav the submarine commander who tor
pedoed an American ship showed great an
novance because he didn't find the captain
he was looking for in the small boat which
carried most of the escaping crew. He an
nounced that a price had been put on the
captains head because on previous
voyage he had taken the offensive against
T. German U-boat, the German theory being
that an armed enemy merchantmen is not
entitled to fight except on the defensive.
That was the pretext on which Captain
Fryatt was executed.
We have therefore been imperllling the
lives of our merchant sailors, as well as
the ships which they sail and the cargoes
which they are trying to deliver, by courte-
ously affording espionage facilities to
enemy subjects here representing the Ger
nan insurance companies. 1t was foolish
exhibition of lenity and laXity, now happily
abandoned. Yet it is hard to understand
why the Administration did not go further
and suspend the operation of the German
companies so far as concerns direct insur-
ance or reinsurance of munitions fac
tories, shpbuilding yards and other plants
cf a military or semi-military character.
It is highly dangerous to permit enemy
subjects access to the sort of information
about these plants which must be fur
nished to insurance underwriters.
In fact, the government has still great
deal to do before it really abates the Ger
man spy peril. The steps so far taken to
control the movements of enemy aliens in
this city are ludicrously inadequate. Mere
ly putting up signs warning such aliens
to keep away from the waterfront and
from arsenals and other centres Of mill
tary activity is of no avail. Thousands of
enemy subjects here have obtained licenses
authorizing them to disregard these signs.
Others disregard them without having
licenses. A few days ago the Federal au-
thorities arrested two Germans, both
chemists, employed in a Brooklyn water
front factory. They were charged with
trying to get up strike. And, according
to the newspaper report Of the proceedings.
both had passes permitting them TO enter
prohibited military areas.
1t is high time to end the farce OF a
merely nominal enforcement Of President
Wilson's proclamation barring enemy
aliens from danger zones. War is war.
The German~spy system is pervasive and
still in good working order. Let US deal
with it as if it were real danger, which
il is, instead of merely trusting that enemy
subjects here will be considerate enough
to stop abusing our hospitality.