Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-27
Armed Neutrality"-Whyt

gress as he did yesterday, despite the
fact that Germany has not committed
the overt act for which the whole
world has been looking since the
breaking off of diplomatic relations be-
tween the two countries.
The submarine blockade which Ger
many proclaimed for the ports of the
Allies was intended to rest effective
through a barred zone" of twenty
nautical miles off the shore. Accord
ing to the British Admiralty, the num-
| Der of ships sunk in these waters, as
compared with those which pass safe
ly through. is as one to twenty-five.
So far as the shipping OF English ports
is concerned, therefore, the blockade
has not been by any means practi-
/
cally effective. although it is rapidly
taking on a serious phase.
In this country. the Teuton U-boats
have achieved a larger success. Not
only are American ships essentially
interned in our ports by reason of the
failure of the administration to pro-
vide either protection or convoy for
them; but the German blockade of
our shores has spread out over the
land. Owing to the congestion of
freight upon the piers where our in
termed ships are tied up, with its con-
sequent embargo upon the movement
of freight cars, the railroads of the
country have been compelled to refuse
to accept merchandise for transporta-
ton to the seaboard from any point
west OF Buffalo-which is more than
four hundred miles from New York.
The barred zone" on the sea for
Great Britain is twenty miles wide.
The barred zone" for the United
States, on cur own soil, is twenty times
as wide
At the first notice of the pro-
posed U-boat blockade, President Will
son proceeded to hand passports to the
German Ambassador and to go to Con-
gress protesting that this couitry cam
not recognize such a restriction of
our rights upon the ocean highways.
There could be, however. no more eff
fective manner of recognizing the IL
legal procedure than indicated by the
blockade and embargo which our
steamship lines and railroad lines are
now experiencing.
The consequences were becoming
most embarrassing to our own people
and this, too, without reference to
the issue of peace or war. The East.
which needs foodstuffs, is unable to
get them. The West, which sells food
stuffs. is not able to reach it's natural
market. The blockade which was in
tended to starve England into submIs-
sion was bidding fair to starve the
United States also.
Many other considerations-fail
of Germany to keep faith, the danger
to American lives on the sea, freedom
of American shipping to go where it
pleases and disapproval of ruthless
submarine warfare-doubtless entered
into the decision of the President to
ask for a state of armed neutrality"
but his hand was forced by the food
shortage and consequent high prices
that are felt by everybody in the
United States dependent upon the rail-
roads for their provisions.
Regardless of whether or not there
shall be special session, Congress can
do nothing less now than give its
prompt and hearty support to the pres
idential recommendations.
We are heading into war as rapidly
as events can take us. In that case the
President will need the constant pres