The Washington herald., 1917-02-11
New York Times.


when the German chancellor an
nounced the invasion of Belgium, he said
cheerfully, This was In violation of In
ternauonal law Made cautious by ex-
perience. he did not repeat this display
OF candor in announcing the unlimited
submarine war. The neutral nations,
however, are supplying the comment for
him. There could be no greater sanction
to a declaration of international law, as
sanctions exist nowadays. than the spon-
taneous declaration of the nations that
an act Is or is not in accordance with that
law. Not a single nation acknowledges
Germany's new warfare to be in accord
ance with international law; all those who
speak at all deny II.
- This was In violation of inter-
national law The sentence Is not uttered
by a candid German chancellor this time.
1t is uttered with one voice by the ma
tions Of the earth, so far as they speak
at ALL 1t defines this particular phase of
international law as no Hague conference
could ever define 1t. Informally, court
Of nations has been in session, and 1t has
rendered It's verdict"
New York Tribune.
There Is one thing about our trouble
with Germany which should be thorough
" understood. So far the country has
failed to understand it, and for that fail
ure the attitude of the administration
is partly to blame.
"If we go to war with Germany 1t will
not be because of any particular overt
act on Germany's part. We shall not
fight to avenge the murder OF any par
ticular American or group OF Americans.
We shall fight to defend a principle-to
assert rights which we cannot afford to
allow Germany to abridge or deny.
'war with Germany cannot
safely be localized or abridged. 1t should
be conducted with German earnestness
and desperation. We should seek de-
cision at every possible point and should
avail ourselves of the full aid and CO.
operation of all Germany's present enc
mics, offering full cooperation in return.
"OnIy thus can the principle for which
we fight be securely reasserted. Every
force in the world for civilization and
righteousness should be co-ordained now
In the effort to obliterate for good and
all the detestable German doctrine that
SO far as intercourse between nations Is
concerned, might alone makes right
New York World.
Technically the United States and Ger
MANY are not at war. They have only
severed diplomatic relations. But actu-
ally Germany is deriving all the mill
tarY advantage tndI COuIu De sdIhtu IL O'''
war with the United States without iu-
curing the penalties or disabilities.
German submarines are ruthlessly sink
ing ships without warning and making
no inquiries into the nationality of their
victims American shipping is held In
port American ship-owners are AFRAID
to sail the seas lest vessels and cargoes
be destroyed and passengers and crews
murdered The United states is worse
la1 o. nd tz n
Quoted in accordance with the recognized
rules of warfare. A blockading fleet does
not sink merchant ships without warn
ing nor does II massacre helpless non
combatants, nor does 1t seek for victims
among women and children. There is a
law Of blockade, but there Is no law OF
ruthless submarine war against CONNER
cial shipping.
The overt act" was in reality commit
ted when ruthless submarine warfare
went into effect. That was a declaration
OF war against mankind, and it should be
met be the full measure of resistance
that the situation demands.
New York Sun.
The egotisnn and selhshness of the
Hohenzollerns should prove their down.
fal. What dynastic reason could war
rant the holocaust at Verdun, invoked TO
aHord preSuBe 10 tnat plunuerer OF cnd-
| teaux the Crown Prince? Truly he proved
| himself a Prince of Darkness for 1900
men, sacrificed only to buttress the des-
potism which in all the German donin-
ions has throttled all mental freedoml
1t may take long for those who have
had to swallow only official opinion and
doctored news to learn that their tor
mentors are within their own borders,
that they are incorrigible, that they are
81 H. 90. A,,t .t
and II shall be done.