The Washington herald., 1917-03-19
Driving 1t Home.

sinking of these three American
ships; nothing that Germany has not
confidently promised she would do.
More clean-cut examples of Ger
man piracy could not be imagined;
but since Germany has herself an
nounced that ste intended to add ma
rine law to her collection of scraps
of paper" they merely constitute ad-
ditional direct evidence that the
black skull-and-crossboned flag float
ing above the German admiralty is
not fake symbol or an empty threat.
They are acts OF war in the clearest
sense of the word. The President
may believe they call for a declara-
ton of war, and may convene Con-
gress without delay. He may await
the clash that now seems inevitable
since the decision to arm American
liners was reached. In either event
it is plain the country is drifting into
a state of war, and that the admins
tration will soon be confronted with
the problem of converting armed
neutrality" into a more positive,
a more comprehensive defense OF
American rights.
Hope has been expressed recently
that the Russian revolution, with its
roofing out of pro-German intrigue
in Petrograd, would have material
bearing on German policy toward the
United States. The effect OF the revo-
lutionary coup d'etat on German pub
lie opinion will be tremendous, and
has already been forecast by the re-
markable address which Bethmann.
Hollweg delivered to the Prussian
Diet. That the German military oil
garchy, in view of the dangerous in.
ternal situation confronting it, would
hesitate to make an out-and-out
enemy OF the United States, is view
that has been held in official circles
here for some days, all based on what
appears now to be an erroneous con-
ception of German psychology.
Germany is not going to turn back
The Hohenzollerns do not learn from
events; Junkertum does not learn
They make no concessions to the peo-
plo. Acting now on the counsel oi
desperation, they are going to make
thorough German job of it. They
are going to be perfectly consistent
in their blundering to the end. A caste
trained to the worship of its own fiat
and eorroded with arrogance cannot
bend. 1t does not function that way
When it compromises or retreats, il
aims to come back stronger than evel
at the first opportunity.
The cumulative effect of two such
events as the Russian revolution and
declaration of war by the United
States would reach to the humblest
home in the German empire Coming
together, they would act as a Joint
blow to German hopes, hopes that fol
weeks have been resting on shaky
foundations because of economic de.
moralization and series of military
reverses. If the President desires tc
further the prospects of an early
peace in Europe, the road before him
is clear
The fcrment is working in Ger.
many and Austria now 1t is seen ir
the growing frankness of Socialist ut.
terance, the open warning that the
chancellor delivered to the Junkers
with his promise of reform after the
war, the Reichstag speeches that fol
lowing the news of the ousting of the
Romanoffs. 1t is vague speculation
to predict a revolution in Germany
with the dethroning Of Wilhelm II
but it seemed matter OF equal folly
to suppose that Russian absolutisn
would ever be ended in the dramatic
way the world now knows. Anything
is possible in the world now, includ
ing German democracy.
The United States has clear man.
date not only to enter the war as .
major participant, but to emphasize
and support the policies which tn.
President has outlined as a peace pro.
gram. The submarine outrages which
arc forcing action upon the govern,
mcnt arc merely incidental now. The
war is drawing to close. The up.
hcalal in Russia will rock all of Cen.
tral Europe into disillusionment, and
a final gesture of reputation from
America will have an immediate ef
feet in those beleaguered nations
whose cause is SO transparently hope.
less,