The sun., 1917-02-10
BRITAIN CHAFES
OVER U.S.DELAY
"What Constitutes an Overt
Act?" London Public and
Press Are Asking.
AMERICANS ARE CHEERED
Bands Play "Hail Columbia!"
but ElatiOn Is Changing
to Impatience.
AMERICANS ARE CHEERED
Special Gable Despdtch 10 The SuN

special Cdbfe Despdfch 10 The Sun.
LONDON, Feb. 9.-Great Britain's
elation over the break of the United
States with Germany has quickly given
place to impatience over the delay in
taking the final step. The universal
| British sentiment can be summed up as
| follows:
Through the break in diplomatic ne
gotiations the United States has taken
cognizance of Germany's breach of
faith. which has been followed immedi-
ately by unrestricted warfare. the sac
rifice OF American lives and the further
adding of insult to injury by threaten
| ing to make Ambassador Gerard a
! hostage. The question Is, What con-
stitutes an covert act? How far can
American national honor be stretched
to reach its elastic limit?
| 1t Is not with bitterness that the Brit
ish public asks these questions, but sim
ply through the sensitiveness aggravated
| by the third war winter. Severe as
! must have been the strain of the past
week in the United States. II has been
| fully as severe on this side. because the
people are reading daily reports that
the submarines are averaging n toll Of
10000 tons of shipping a day. meaning a
| further shortage of coal. wheat, sugar
| and meat.
Respect for L. :. Fighters.
Despite the nervousness over the dec
laration of war. there is an increasing
respect for the United States as n fight
| ing unit. The illustrated papers publish
pictures of a recent battleship launching
at Newport, with details Of the fighting
strength of the United States afoat, and
also numerous articles dealing with
Americas fabulous wealth.
10 f,,II nf ha ~ n
United States with Germany is ex-
pected to be reached when Ambassador
| Gerard reaches Barcelona. So far the
| general public has not realized what 1t
means to sunder relations between the
two nations.
II is expected that many Americans
going from Berlin with Mr.. Gerard will
come TO England, where their reception
is forecast by the enthusiasm already
! aroused toward Americans here. Many
| cafes witnessed stirring scenes to-day
when the orchestras played Hail, CO.
lumbia =. and other American airs amid
very hearty cheering For the first
time the newspapers print pictures of the
American soldiers fighting with the
British army, labelling them "Our
| Allies"
Discussing the prospects OF the United
States entering the war the Saturday
Reriep says
1.-Two years ago Lord Kitchener. there
can now he no harm in stating, believed
that If only America were to join the
! Allies the effect would be to shorten
considerably his estimate that the war
would last three years. He therefore
opposed hostile references to the atti-
tude of America and equally opposed
the foolish habit OF picking at her sleeve,
telling her of the wickedness of Ger
many and urging her to come in. He
held that this was the way not to bring
America around and he was right"
Continuing, the Saturday Repieu
thinks that the United States would be
chiefly of value in furnishing ships, food
and money, As regards an army, 1t COM
ments, she Is late on the scene, but
If she once undertook to send an army
she would set about making soldiers as
she sets about making money, and Eu-
rope would see Wilson armies, Root
armies and Roosevelt armies
One of Two Great Events.
The Weekly Nation devotes two lead.
ers to American affairs and says tina,
the action OF the United States is one OF
the two great events of the war, the
other being England's full entry into
Continental affairs.
with the entrance OF America" 1,
says, "the balance sets definitely toward
democracy Henceforward Western de.
mocracy Is safe and its ideas must per
meate central and eastern Europe. While
the Entente may combine their resources
and in time secure popular victory, yet
they all must come from warfare Grip
pied and impoverished. In this mora
encounter America comes in with the
necessary equipment for success.
Unless Germanys assumption is that
by June she will cut off the maritime
commerce of the world from these isl
ands and thus sever the main arteries OF
the Entente, then she must realize thai
she cannot win. She cannot fight
Americas brains and money and mum
bers and Americas organized industry
which stands out as the chief rival OF
the German cartel.
Strengthens Allies Morale.
Americas action also offers great
reinforcement to the morale Of the AL.
lies and at the same time the impact OF
American intervention must deeply color
the views of the German people on tn,
war. 1t also involves tremendou.
transformation. as no longer will ther,
be left In the world n single neutra
great Power. Not one of the remaining
neutrals Is powerful or secure enough ts
play an appreciable part"
The Nation considers n unlikely thai
the United States, should that countr,
declare war on Germany. would adhere
to the London pact by which the Entente
countries agreed not TO make a separat,
peace. and 1t is also unlikely that she
would adopt the Paris economic agree.