Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-02-23
Measures Short of War
-sprin g field (Mass.) Republican.

Thus far we see in the situation rather strik-
ing parallel with the quas-war with france IN
1898. In view of the insults which the Snnea
States had repeatedly suffered from the french
Directory, and the depredations on american
commerce committed by French cruisers IN the
war between France and Great Britain, President
John Adams severed diplomatic relations with the
French republic. Congress refrained, however,
from declaring war. What it did do was to au-
thorize the recruiting of an army Tor nome de-
fence order the capture by American warsh1ps OF
any French vessels that should commit depreda-
tons on American commerce, and authorize the
president to issue letters OF marque and reprisal
to privateers These measures were held to be
Short of war; in the at least that they were
short OF declaration of war; and it is certain
that the warfare which for year existed on the
ocean, in which American warships and privateers
engaged in battle French vessels has never fg-
ured in history as regular war, as did our later
war of 1872 with Great Britain
1t is not impossible that the president, himself
historian, has in mind the precedents of the con-
fct with France in 1898 in dealing with the pres
ent situation created by Germany on the hgh
seas. Precedents of that character may not
furnish much guidance, if hostilities of some sort
cannot be avoided, for the world of today IN mat.
tiers of war is practically different IRON that OF
1898 as if 1000 years were in the interval. But
after making allowances for changed conditions
in maritime warfare and the infinitely closer com
mercial intercourse of Europe and America, the
thought persists that in the experience OF i/9o
with France the president and congress might
now find precedent for crcumscribing con-
fct with Germany within narrow limits. BY SO
doing at least the country might avoid entangle-
ments with the Anglo acknowledgements Italian
Japanese alliance and its far-reaching war aims
that would perhaps arouse bitter controversy
among our own people and threaten our national
unity in dealing with the difficult problems OF
peace making which must sooner or later De
solved by warswept world.
The possibility that beligerent friction with
Germany could be narrowly confined is admittedly
based on the obvious reluctance Germany now
shows to declare war on the United States-an
attitude remarkably different from that shown in
the last week of July, 1914, when the kaiser inter
preted Russian mobilization as equivalent to
downright declaration of war by the car. There
is announcement, to say the least, for those who
are now working to restrict as much as possible a
war area into which the United States might be
dragged by Germanys submarine trlghtfuness.
Congress Is not likely to be asked by the president
to vote a formal declaration of war. II he is
forced by Germany's acts to address congress
again, he may simply cite Germany's deeds as
hostile blows against our legitimate commerce,
perhaps against our sovereignty itself, and ask to
be authorized to uphold by force American rights
in those areas where they are struck down. For
such action by congress there would be perfect
precedent IN the experience OF l/9o anu WIFI II
would run the hope that the conflict might be
minimized as it was llo years ago.
In effect, such action as the United States
would naturally take to protect its seamen and
citizens in their maritime rights would directly
operate to defeat the object of the war zone
decree of February |, issued at Berlin, and to
maintain commercial intercourse between Great
Britain and America But in 1898 our action had
the necessary effect of aiding Great Britain against
France; when Bonaparte seized power in 1879 he
saw the error of antagonzing America and promt-
| the range of probability that comparatively
brief experience in submarine terrorism would
now convince the government at Berlin that the
U-boat warfare pushed beyond all considerations
of law and mercy did not yield returns sufficient
| to Justify the break with America.