Grand Forks herald., 1917-03-01
'rHuRspAY EVENING. MARCH ,
AN ASTOUNDING PROPOSAL.

AN ASTOUNDING PROPOSAL.
The Associated Press makes public
4 story In relation to our dispute with
Germany which. were II not for the
Woli.knoWn conservatism and pains
taking accuracy OF that great news
agency. would he dismissed as the
Wterd imagining OF some sensational
and irresponsible correspondent. The
reputation of the Associated rresa for
caution and accuracy in all its work
maksa such an estimate impossible.
and leaves no room for doubt that
the faots are exactly ns stated.
The statement In the news dis
patches Ia In brief that the German
government. through its foreign Office
has proposed to Mexico aud Japan
that in case the United States de-
parts from Its policy OF neutrality and
engages in war with Germany Mexi-
co ana Japan shall Join with Ger
many in making war on the United
States. and that in return for the aid
thus rendered. there shall be- restored
to Mexico Arizona. New Mexico and
Texas. and that Japan shah he given
practically free hand In the Pacific.
The Associated Press vouchea for the
abatement that such II proposal has
been made. and that II copy OF the
document setting forth the terms has
been In tho possession of the Amcri-
can government since about the time
when President Wilson severed our
Whether The German authorities
mhde this proposal in the expectation
that II would he accepted. and that
In case OF her expected war with this
country Mexico and Japan would
make sufflclent trouble to keep her
new antagonist busy. whether the pro-
posal was mhde FOR tho purpose OF
hlufring the United States into n sub
serVlent attitude. to what extent the
possibility OF separating Japan from
her alliance with the entente powers
or Europe. these aud number Of
other questions must remain ,inan-
sWered for the present because there
are so many angles TO the subject that
10 attempt to reach a conclusion now
would be futile. We have been told
some highly important facts What
ethef Facts may remain liilOld. which
nave bearing OF the subject, we
are not likely to know for some time,
But the outstanding fact ia that
while we have been dreaming OF pea CO
ana security. congfhtnlhtng otrselves
on the fact that oceans separated Ms
from any possible antagonist, there
mas been IN process of construction n
new map of America IN well ns of
Europe. and some OF the richest terri
tory In our country. which has been
an integral part of our territory for
three-nunrters or ii century. has been
held up as a prize for others to neht
for. and plans have been made for
the partitionihg of our territory aa
calmly as other plans nave been made
Tor the reshaping of the little Balkan
principaltties. where change is the
natural order Of things.
The working out OF these particl-
lar plans Is conditioned on the en-
trance Of the United States into the
war AZ an antagonist OF Germany. The
answer will fall readily from the
smooth and oily tongue OF the pro-
fessional paci1st, We need only keep
the peace with Germany, and all will
be we'll Hut how do wa know 1t will
he we'll? And under what further in
sulting ana Injurious conditions are
We to keep the peace? The present
conditions are that on pain OF the
death OF our citizens we discontinue
all trade by means OF our own ships
and our own citizens with Great Brit
ain. France. Italy and Russia, Very
we'll. Let that be done. Perhaps that
may not suffice, The next logical atep
would he an order from the kaiser
that we close our own ports tn al,
shipping belonging to tho entente
powers, Having yielded 40 much We
could not we'll stop. And thus, step
BY step. we would permit ourselves
TO be deprived of the last vsstige of
national severetsnty. a China of the
westsrn hemisphere. with the pros
pect always before MS that refusal To
Yield would mean the sinking of our
shtpa by German submarines. the
raldtnE Of our southern borders by
ths Msxteans. and the bonn mbardment
az our western coast by the Japanese.
Ana this Ia no fancy picture, no
Wild dream. 1t is sober fact, and 1t
II fact which, We must face immedl.
Ately and sauarely. What are We 60
tn9 to do about IT.