The Washington herald., 1917-03-08
What Leading Newspapers
Say on the War Situation

/
Or zimmerman, speaking OF his note
soliciting Mexico and Japan to make COM
mon cause with Germany against the
United States, says: II suppose our step
made a particularly deep impression
abroad" Quite deep in Tokyo, we should
say. Amazement feebly expresses the
mental receptiveness of Field Marshal
! Terauchi, Premier. In three vigorous
sentences he deals with the low cunning
of the performances: 1t shows ''the per-
, sistence with which the Germans are ex-
erting themselves to estrange Japan from
| the United States;" It would be sheer
madness for Japan to desert her allies
and assail her historic friend; Japan
knows where her true interest lies. the
American people may rest assured
] This Is, the comment that might have
| been expected from the rugged old SOL
der who is now the Mikado's adviser.
The intrigue is too bold and clumsy to
| arouse his Indignation. He says nothing
| about the reflection of the honor Of ia
PAN The quality of that 10 too well
known. A subtle encroachment upon It
would be resented. Moreover, the Pre-
mier must feel that he is dealing with
the act>of a desperate government.
Arm the Ships, Mr.. President.
| New York worldJ
| The Senators responsible for the death
| Of the Fundamentally measure are al
| ready running to cover They thought
now find that they were defeating the
American people. and defeating the
American people Is serious business - .
No casual statute of 1919 can stand in
the way of the Presidents meeting Ger
many's murderous challenge unless he
chooses to regard 1t as an insurmounta-
| Die obstacle. and that would be sacri-
hcing the Nation to the strict interpreta-
tion of an act of Congress passed to
meet wholly different situation.
phe country has discounted the possi-
! bility or war. II is ready to accent war
| If Germany is determined to have war.
| The President need have no miseIyIngs
about the attitude OF the American peo-
pie They will support and sustain him in
the sternest measures that ne may take
to Vindicate the rights and the honor of
! the United States
German Reasoning outdons by
Austria.
New York T1nca)
The Austro-Hungarian rovernr,op,
earnestly desiring to avoid a hrcach
OF relations with the United States vet
| not daring to break with Germany. dis
pat"hes to the government at Washing
ton a note In which. while In fact seek
ing to Justify assassina ton at sea by
submarine, 1t employs terms and arg1l-
ment pertinent only to a discussion OF
legitimate cruiser warfare and offers TO
the examination of n candid world a pro-
cess of reasoning that surpasses in
hardihood the most daring exploits of
the German mind during the whole
course Of the war In the main argu-
rnent the mention of submarines is skill
fully and consistently avoided, and by
that device Germany's ally is able to cite
| uncontested principles of international
law. to refer to positions taken by our
government. to appeal to reason, right
and Justice with an appearance OF
plausibility sufficient to convince minds
unwary enough not to perceive that
reasoning entirely appropriate to a de-
fense OF legitimate methods of warfare
at sea Is irrelevant. meaningless and
void when resorted to in justification Of
submarine forays against merchant
ships. 1t is as II the right to take prop
erty by eminent domain should be cited
in Justification OF common theft.
The German Way.
New York Trbun.)
1t would be difficult to find a better exr
ample Of the fashion in which the Ger
man mind operates. finer Illustration of
the German method which Is steadil,.
uniting the whole civilized world against
the Teuton, than Is disclosed in the Nexi-
| can manipulatiOns of Zimmermann At
| one time it IS possible to perceive why
| Europe will make no peace with Ger
many, as Germany is directed today,
and whv We must. sooner or later join
Europe in tho task of saving the civilized
world from German barbarism.
Stripped of all detail. the fact is that
! the German government resolved to re-
turn to an illegal policy which involved
the murder of American citizens and the
destruction OF American property. Such
| being the case, the German government
| recognized that the American nation
might not submit to this murder. Hence
| the appeal to the Mexican and the
Japanese to attack US and to wrest from
! us American territory as a reward for at
! tack. Finally comes the disclosure OF
the plot and the indignant German as
sertion of American "treachery,'' treach-
cry in finding out and publishing the
fact that Germany had planned to turn
Japan and Mexico against US II we re-
sisted German murder on the high