The St. Joseph observer., 1917-02-17
THE CROSSING
Of THE RUB|coN
The Position of the Neutrals in the Great War AS
Seen by the Christian Science Monitor

fled rather than that, but to have
given any indication of his own opin-
ion would unquestionably have been
to have raised storm fiercer even
than any of those which have ragged
about him, during the present strug-
gle. SO things might have gone on to
the end OF the war, had not one group
Of belligerents found 1t of vital ne
cessity to cross the Rubicon of the
Presidents delimitation. The decis-
ion, in short, of the Middle European
Powers to extend to the neutral ma
fare, which they themselves admit
are in violation of international law
and The Hague conventions, but
which they claim have been necessi-
tated by earlier violations Of that law
and those provisions, by the Allied
nations, has created a condition OF
things to which no neutral could pos
sibly submit except through weak
ness. 1t may be that the Allied fleets
have infringed international law In
the matter of the inspection of car
goes, the interference with mails, and
certain other phases of the blockade,
but these interferences have not been
vital to the lives 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 necessitat-
ed this interference with their COM
merce. When, however. 1t comes to
practically ordering that commerce
off the high seas, to threatening the
mercantile marine of the neutral ma
tions with extinction. and those en-
gagged in operating it on the high seas
with death. a position Is found to
have been reached to which nothing
but the law of necessity could possi-
bly, compel obedience.
What, in such circumstances, the
other neutral powers may do it is i'm
possible to say. The Atlantic does
not roll between their frontiers and
the armies of the Middle European
Powers, 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 a posi-
ton, II necessary, TO engage in a war
in which, humanity speaking, in the
conditions existing, 1t would be in
vincible. 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 large number Of
his fellow countrymen have not hesi-
tated to describe as weakness. The
famous phrase, TOO proud to fight" "
which brought such obloquy upon
him, II is to be suspected none Of his
critics really misunderstood. The
mistake he made was rather in giving
the opportunity 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 1t ought ever TO
have submitted to these, posterity
will say. 1t is clear, however, that
when, on Saturday last. the President
addressed the Senate in words which
constituted an ultimatum to the Mid
die European Powers, he, like the
great Roman soldier before him,
crossed the Rubicon.-Christian Sci
ence Monitor.