The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-06
DEFENSE OF THE U, s. POSITION.


Christian Science Monitor: so
long," the president has said, in eff
feet, "as the questions at issue are
questions Of commerce, questions
which, indeed, can even be settled, in
their material aspect, by a tribunal
after the war, 1 will not press what
conceive to be the individually just
claims Of the nation over whose des-
TIMES preside. But when it comes to
the question of the destruction of life,
when that life is taken in defiance not
only of international law. but Of all
the conventions of The Hague tri-
bunals, it is absolutely necessary that
should interfere, if for no other rea-
son than this, that though the value
of a cargo may be recovered, on the
establishment Of peace, human lives
lost through infringement of interna-
tional law cannot be regained."
Such being the case, Mr.. Wilson has
made 1t perfectly clear, ever since the
opening days of the strugglE, that a
distinct line must be drawn between
what might be described at infringe
ment of international law with respect
to trade, and disregard of International
law with respect to life.
So things might have gone on to the
end of the war, had not one group OF
belligerents found it Of vital necessity
10 CIOSo Tic IAuDISOh VI LhC
delimitation. The decision, in short,
of the middle European powers to ex-
tend to the neutral nations the ter
rors of submarine warfare, which they
themselves admit are in violation or
international law and The Hague con-
ventions, but which they claim have
been necessitated by earlier violations
of that law and those provisions, by
the allied nations, has created a con-
90 h ~ h iS1b
could possibly submit except through
weakness.
1t may be that the allied fleets have
infringed International law in the
matter of the inspection of cargoes,
the interference with mails, and GER
tain other phases of the blockade,
but these interferences have not been
vital to theslives or even to the COM
merce of the neutral powers, as wit
messed by the fact that the neutral
powers have grown rich out Of the
very conditions which have necessi-
tated this interference with their
commerce. When, however, it comes
to practically ordering that COM
merce off the high seas, to Threatening
the mercantile marine of the neutral
nations with extinction, and those
engaged in operating it on the high
seas with death, a position is found
to have been reached to which moth
ing but the law of necessity could
possibly compel obedience.
What, in such circumstances, the
other neutral powers may do 1T Is i'm
possible to say. The Atlantic does not
roll between their frontiers and the
armies of the middle European pow
ers, so that, in the event Of a breach
Of friendly relations, war is brought
very close to their doors. In the case
of the United States these difficulties
do not transpire. The United States
is one of the greatest powers of the
world. 1t is in position, If necessary
to engage in a war in which humanity
speaking, in the conditions existing,
| it would be invincible.
Therefore the president OF the
United States could hardly fail to act
other than he has acted, the more
especially as he has prepared the
way for such action during the whole
course of the war. and has exhibited,
during the period of the war, self
restraint which a large number of his
fellow countrymen have not hesitated
to describe as weakness. The famous
phrase "too proud to fight, which
brought such obloquy upon him, 1t is
to be suspected none OF his critics
really misunderstood. The mistake he
made was rather in giving the oppor-
tunity for misunderstanding than In
anything else. The time has now come
when he feels that the self-denying
ordinance involved in that phrase
must be set aside. The time has come
when the United States can no longer
submit to the destruction of its ships
and to the slaughter OF its citizens.
Whether it ought ever to have sub
mitted to these, posterity will say.
It is clear, however, that when, on
Saturday last, the president addressed
the senate in words which constituted
an uItimatum TO the middle European
powers, he, like the great Roman SOL
der before him, crossed the Rubicon.