The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-02-16
WAR Is INEVITABLE

The American people might as we'll
make up their minds that war with
lGermany is inevitable
The German government intends to
carry out to the letter the policy of
ruthless submarine warfare which it
proclaimed January 81. In his adj
dress to congress Saturday, President
Wilson said:
Il refuse to believe that it is the
intention of the German authorities
TO do in fact what they have warned
us they will feel at liberty to do |
cannot bring myself to believe that
they will indeed pay no regard to the
ancient friendship between their peO-
pie and our own, or to the solemn OBJ
legations which have been exchanged
between them, and destroy American
ships and take the lives OF American
citizens in the willful prosecution of
the ruthless naval program they have
announced their intention 10 adopt.
Only actual overt acts on their part
can make me believe it even now"
Most Americans shared this hope
with the president. but the desiruc-
ton of the California without warning
lis final proof that the German govern
ment is determined to carry out its
program. 1t is only by the merest
chance that the sinking of the Califor-
nit was nat the covert act against
which the president warned the impe-
rial government.
1t happened that there were no
American passengers on board the
California and that no American lives
were lost by the destruction of the
ship. but the commander of the sub
marine could not have known it. He
followed the tactics of the command
er of the submarine which sank the
Lusitania. and while the loss of life
is less than in the Lusitania case and
there are no Americans dead, there is
no moral distinction in premeditated
nun der. In both instances there was
la deliberate massacre of helpless non
icombatants, some of them women and
children.
All our submarine controversies
with Germany have centered about
the rules of cruiser warfare which we
have held to be vital to the rights of
neutrals and the processes of civil
cation Germany has again torn up
thos erules in practice as well as in
proclamation. The German subma-
rine commanders are sinking every
thing that they can strike, and it is
only matter of time until an Amer
lean ship is destroyed without warn
ing or American lives are taken.
To all intents and purposes Ger
many is now at war with the United
States. even though no distinct act of
war has been committed The pro.
clamation of ruthless submarine war
fare in the light of the presidents Ill
timatum of April 19 was practically
a declaration of war. The destruction
/ of the machinery of the German
ships in American ports was part Of
a premeditated war plan. The refus-
al to give Mr.. Gerard his passports
and the detention of American citi-
zens in Germany is an action only
short of war. 1t is the menace of war
that is holding American ships in
port and preventing them from en-
gaging in lawful trade and commerce.
A situation already bad will grow
rapidly worse, and we should not de-
ceive ourselves as to what the future
holds in store. Even though we try
to create a fools paradise, the Ger
man government will not let us live
in ii.
/ We have taken our course, and we
must follow it. 1t is a just and honor
able and upright course that is in har-
mony with all our principles and all
our traditions The conflict that has
been forced upon us proves to have
been an irrepressible conflict, made
so by German defiance of law and jus
/ tice and humanity and civilization.
We cannot avoid it. and what we can
not avoid we must meet boldly and
/ resolutely.-
/ Germany has decreed war: so let
ii come--World
E! Hon and Mrs w. j. Bryan will en-.
] terrain the members of the legisla.