The Republican journal., 1917-01-11

While the press and public are still
puzzIing over the meaning of President
Wilson's Note and Secretary Lansing's
statements,it is reported from Washing
ton that another Note has gone to the
Kaiser, and that the strictest secrecy as to
this and other negotiations is to be main
tanned at the White House and the State
Department. AS to the first Note the
Democratic Brooklyn Eagle candidly
said: whether Mr.. Wilson intended to
warn Germany we do not know" 1t
finds, however, "a growing conviction
on the part of many individuals and of
some newspapers that his peace note
was inspired by the apprehension that
Germany, failing to obtain the confer
ence for which she asks, intends to re-
sumo the ruthless prosecution of subma-
rine warfare. Those who take this view
argue that Mr.. Wilson, realizing the
grave liabilities which such a policy
would present to the United States, was
first of all anxious to forestall it by
bringing the belligerents into consulta-
ton and, if that move failed, to warn
Germany of the consequences certain
to follow resumption of savagery at
sea-" The Eagle then suggests that if
the President has any such apprehension
as his friendly Interpreters attribute to
him he should at once take inio his conf
Sorao tho on6 y,olichaa
who represents the German Government
at Washington, and make it perfectly
plain to him that the course laid down
for the United States in the Sussex note
will be adopted upon the very first pro-
vocation. In that note Mr.. Wilson said
Unless the Imperial Government should
now Immediately declare and effect an
abandonment of its present methods of
submarine warfare against passenger
and freight carrying vessels, the Govern
ment of the United States can have no
choice but TO sever diplomatic relations
with the German Empire altogether.
The pledge Germany gave since that
note was dispatched has been repeatedly
violated. Ships have been sunk without
warning American lives have been lost.
In recent case, that of the British
steamer Westminster, she was attacked
100 miles from the nearest land by Ger
man submarine without warning and was
struck by two torpedoes in quick success
sion, which killed four men. The West
minister sank in four minutes. Then fol-
lowed deliberate attempt to murder
the survivors. The officers and crew
while effecting their escape in boats were
shelled by the submarine at a range of
5000 yards. The master and chief en-
gineer were killed outright. Their boat
was sunk. The report of this act of
savagery given out by the British Ad-
miraty says: ''The captain of the sub
marine must have satisfied himself of
the effectiveness of his two torpedoes,
yet he proceeded to carry out in cold
blood an act of murder which could not
possibly be justified by any urgency of
war and can only be regarded in the eyes
OF the world as further proof of the
degradation of German honor and NOR
ale
Nov what is President Wilson's duty
in the matter? We leave that for
Democratic newspaper. and supporter
of the present administration, to say.
The Brooklyn Eagle says that if Mr..
Wilson has reason to suspect that sub
marine warfare will be conducted other
wise than as indicated in the above note
che has the opportunity to perform an
other service to humanity by giving the
German Government, through Count Won
Bernstortf, polite but firm intimation
of what the immediate and inevitable
sequence will be-