The sun., 1918-07-27
A NEUTRAL VIEW.
Comments Of Swiss Paper on the
New Jersey Coast Raids.

BAsLE, Switzerland, June THE Ma
| tiondl-Zcitun1 says: 1t may be very
difficult to foresee the result of this
German submarine attack upon Amer
| lea, but 1t will probably end the same
way as all the other efforts of brute
force: It will disappoint its instigators
| and employers. The Germans may sink
| n few tens OF thousands or even hun
dreds OF thousands of tons, but they
will at the same time increase the
building of new ships by stirring up
American passion and enthusiasm. The
German attack Is considered by Amerl-
| cans an insult to their pride, so highly
developed.
Nothing could possibly enrage the
Americans more than this attack. There
| Is wave Of Indignation rolling over
the whole continent, similar to the one
Mt the time Of the Lusitania sinking.
| Sentiment for crusade is growing.
Perhaps in Germany they will not be
| able to take the correct measure of
what this means. The American con-
siders the sinking of merchant vessels
and passenger steamships, the drown
| Ing Of the unarmed. OF women and chill
| open boats In the midst Of the ocean. as
| cowsrdice and inhumanity, as an act
| of barbarism OF the worst kind and
he, In his primitive conception of
morals. deems 1t his duty to punish
the guilty perpetrators of these mis-
deeds.
We do not care to examine whether
| this sentiment is justified and how far,
| for 1t is not our intention to pour oil
on the fire the flames of which are ris-
ing high enough This. however, can
not be denied this submarine attack
| was a blow in the face OF every mod
crate. every friend of peace and every
| oojector to war on principle. Even one
| who would eliminate all considerations
OF humanity and would solely Judge BY
| military results is compelled to doubt
whether the surprise was of value,
| whether the price paid for this mo-
mentary feat was not much too high.
The United States are holding in their
hands many pawns. the fate of many
| hundreds of thousands OF unfortunate
Germans and Austrians left to Uncle
Sans tender mercies. and also i'm
portant property values, not to men
|
need. Thus II Is questionable whether
1t was wise to provoke the Americans
and to aggravate the war against them.
or course these considerations are
alien TO the mental processes of mill
tary leaders; and the German people,
! who have seen their life blood shed
| FOR four long years, are not inclined to
comprehend them. But It should be
the duty OF real leaders OF public senti-
ment to make public their. reflections
and TO force their will upon the army
command and to curb the adventurous
spirit of the admiralty.
| There is nothing that can wipe out
| the impression upon the American soul
created by the ambushing OF unarmed
persons by armed men, by the cruel
killing Of the helpless. by sinister
enemies plotting against the safety Of
the great republic and by violation OF
all the laws of nations and tho inter-
national rules Of warfare. The imme-
date consequences will be a rush to
volunteer for service in the army, an
increased thirst for vengeance
| 1t was n mistake to plainly demon
strate to the whole continent what is
at stake and to thus show them that
danger threatens them ALL It was the
same kind Of mistake as were the raids
| made upon helpless cities. distant bonn
| bardments. deportation OF civilians and
all sorts Of retal!atory measures. All OF
them had only one result nations at-
! fected become only more firmly deter
mined to hold out to the end. This at
,tude, think OF 1t what you like, is
fact. You may argue against its logic
| but you cannot tear IL out OF the
hearts OF these peoples. not even with
thousands OF submarine vessels Even
| Bismarck. who was no mollycoddle
would have prevented the attack upon
the United States. But the Pan-Ger-
mans of to-day consider Bismarck a
weaklins. a eort OF defeatist, who halted
half way who never comprehended the
gospel OF Englands destruction and the
| worlds permeation by Germanism.
or course the immediate cause Of the
attack Is plainly discernible II was not
so much aimed at the United States
| as at the French. who were to be taught
| TO believe the United States would be
prevented from sending requirements
and food to France. American helm.
which Clemenceau called the only means
by which a decision could be reached,
should appear to be threatened or even
frustrated. Thereby the German army
command expects to create In France
that stage OF panic which It orders to
be reflected in the press of Germany.
Am!ens, Verdun. Calais and Paris were
to be conquered by attacks upon the har.
oors OF New York. Boston and Phila-
delphia. For the time being we put a
large question mark under this account.
lui v'vra, vera. he who lives long
enough Will see, says n French proverb
Still. how many OF us will be alive TO
see, II this war continues much longer,
and will have eyes left that will not
be blinded by tears of grief"