The Washington herald., 1917-02-20
What Leading Newspapers
Say on the War Situation
New York Herald

President Wilson finds confronting him
lin Congress a situation containing dis
tinct possibilities of embarrassment As
is told in the Herald, administration lead
ers feel that as the result OF delay on
the Presidents part in announcing a
definite policy for the protection of Amer
lean ships and of the assaults of pacifists
and pro-Prussians like James r. Mann
upon the windmill they have labelled
war Congress is torn by a conflict of
emotions. Members of both Houses are
beginning to qualify their protestations of
Willingness to follow the President with
a lot of buts-but not into a league to
enforce peace; but not into an alliance
with any other nation or nations; but
and so forth and so on.
The situation described is one not un-
familiar to those who have followed the
course of events at Washington since the
outbreak of war in Europe. There have
been others like it-all produced by COM
plant on the one hand that Congress was
not being taken into the Presidents con-
tdence, on the other hand that the Presi-
dent fails to strike while the iron is hot
Every such situation has been seized
upon by pro-Prussians and pacifsts, in
Congress and out, to becloud the issue
before the nation. From those now come
talk of need for an overt act, assertion
! that the issue is war or peace, attempt
to muddy the waters by Injecting prob-
lens of after-war diplomacy. Everything
is grist that comes to the pacifico- -Prus-
sian mill.
The Presidents delay in taking stepS
for the protection Of American sbIns
which Germany has threatened to sink
on sight and his apparent dallying with
the Austro-Hungarian problem are re-
sponsble for the situation conceruin:.
which administration leaders manifest
anxiety. The simplest way to clear the
atmosphere is by providing at once the
protection which American ships must
have If they are not to be bottled up in
american ports and by severing dipIo-
matte relations with Austria Hungary
without further delay.
New York World.
The witness who testified in the
United States Court at Boston that
the machinery of the German liner
Ni"hprlnzessIn CeCilie was wrecked
January 81 last on orders from the
German Embassy at Washington did
not speak from hearsay. He was
'hafIes A. Polack, captain of the shin
ana an officer of the imperial nayv
The embassy's instructions went to
him and he carried them out.
To grasp the meaning of his words
1t must be understood first. that eariv
In August, 1914. on the declaration Of
war. the Cecilie sought refuge from
the enemy in our ports; secondly. that
owing to litigation growing out of her
failure to deliver her cargo in Europe
she had been libelIed and was in tbe
custody of a United States court pend
ing Judgment and thirdly. that the
vandalism officially ordered was be
gun on the day that Germany served
notice upon US and the world that if
intended thereafter to disregard its
pledges in the matter of submarine
warfare.
Even more sinister than these evil
dences of bad faith. disregard of hos
pitality. violation of law and rcaIIza-
uon that war had been provoked, was
Capt. Polack's testimony that the crime
had been contemplated originally in
April last.
1t is to he noted. therefore, that
twice within ten months the German
government had reason to believe that
It's acts would lead to war with the
United States: that its rcsnect for
treaties was so negligible that on one
occasion il stood ready TO commit and
at another actually engaged in ag-
gression upon a country at peace and
that in showing It's contempt for Amer
lean honor and sovereignty it revealed
a conviction that We We're likely to be
equally false to our obligations. Fine
words and diplomatic phrases have
done much to hide such performances
as these. but they cannot explain away
the mdlIc" and the hostility that. as
We now know, lay behind them.
New York Tribune.
The doctrine which Mr. Mann, Mr.. ]
Hamnton Moor" and few other Ropnh-
hctnS are preaching in the House Of Req
resentauvos is do"trin" OF pUltroonery.
II is yellow dog -Nmcrtcantsm
These worthless are trying To- hide he
hind the Monroe doctrine. They want
to excuse surrender Of American sea
rights at Gernany's hchest on the ground
that If We should light with Germany We
should be mixing into European concerns.
Let us forsake the sea, they sav. rather
than 90 to war to enforce the rights
which maritime law gives us
This is a thoroughly degenerate view
a counsel OF self-abasement unworthy of
men who call themselves Americans. We
are today a nation of more than 10000. eco
souls. our resources are iIimitabe Our
military strength is enormous. although
undcvelOpcd. We can afford to defend
our rights. Have We no longer the spirit
to defend them?
When We We're a poor. feeble. scattered
people. dcsTiscd by the far stronger
powers Of Europe, We had that spirit.
We showed that We were willing to fight
the French in 179>, when the Directory
encouraged French privateers to prey on
America commerce, hoping thereby to in
tinidatc the United States into Joining
France in war AGAINST Great Britain. -
And when Great Britain refused to
abandon the impressment of our seamen
and other arrogant violations Of our sea
rights we went to war with her in 1872
although our state Of military prepara-
tion was even more Iamentable, perhaps
than it had been at the close Of Wash
ington's second term. We made a fiz2le
Of the war Our capital was seized and
rayaGed. But we held out. and Great
Britain tacitly abandoned her illegal sea
practices after peace was restored
Mr.. Mann's COwardly speech met It's
just response in the speech Of Mr. Len
root. Of Wisconsin, the only man within
the present circle of Republican leader
ship in the House Of Representatives who
has shown himself capable of real lead
ership in this crisis He said on Saturday:
If this Che Mann attitude is to he
the attitude Of Congress and the Ameri-
can people. then the days of the re-
public are numbered. We will no longer
he a nation, for any people too cowardly
to fight for their liberty on the sea-. If
need he will he foo cOwardIy 70 6obt fo,-