Evening star., 1921-06-30
Editorial Digest
Pirates, Black or Red?

Ships that vanish and leave no trace;
some beached with all sails set. with
everything about them in perfect or
der. but with neither man nor ghost
aboard; unsigned notes washed
ashore in the classic bottle; theories
Of pirates solemnly put forth by the
government of a mighty nation in
explanation of this new mystery OF
the sea"-such things do not often
fall to the lot of editors to interpret.
Realizing that there are more things
in heaven and earth than can be ex-
planned from the standpoint OF TWEEN
tieth-century practicality, most writ
ers incline to the theory that a re-
vived and improved piracy is. after
all. probably the cause of the mys-
terious disappearance Of ships whose
fate has become the subject of gov
ernmental inquiry.
The piracy theory, the New York
Times holds. cannot be dismissed as
an audacious invention" When law
Is houted and violence rampant. why.
it asks. should We not expect "a mar
ing up of piracy" since after all
great wars there has been recrudes,
cence of it," The Philadelphia Record
thought impossible have happened
and pirates ARE not necessarily con-
fined to Treasure Island" AT any
rate the Philadelphia Public Ledge
tells US that Two great departments
Of mighty nations government iet
it be known that they believe. with a
serious belief, that piracy is again
upon the high seas"
Practical reasons. like storms and
ship mortality statistics" do not meet
the case in hand. most writers CON
tend While the Cleveland Plain
Daa a1ar would n
that malignant nature rather than
malignant man has the answer TO the
riddle nevertheless mature seldom
piles up such mountains or Gomez
denceS." 1t is the number OF nyS-
terious cases within such snort
space of time and in certain part or
the ocean which. to the Adrian
(MichD Telegram. seems to call Tor
some new explanation and since the
Ithaca Journal News finds it scarce
" possible that a series of marine
disasters could have overtaken 50
many vessels" and leave no wreck
age. it draws the conclusion that
some human hand must have played
part" ... ., y,
storm or sabotage" as too prosatc.
the New York World finds that of
submarine piracy still available.
The indianapolis Star also suggests
the possibility that the submarine
piracy. just as the automobile has
been making history in highway
manship, bootlegging and various
other departments of crime. ana me
Worcester Telegram quotes the
gentleman for whom the Deerlng was
named" as expressing the belief that
pirates could successfully carry on
depredations for some time by
reason Of the very fact that practical
piracy would not be considered pos
sible."
But pirates, to carry on profit
able business must have means of
disposing Of their loot. Here enters
the theory of Russian connivance ad-
vanced by one government ofhclal
While to the Syracuse Herald II seems
much more likely that some crew
has mutined and taken up piracy
than that the bolsheviki are operating
along our coast" the Portland (Me.)
Herald feels that the red theory is
really more plausible than that of old
fashioned pirates Of the Capt. Kidd
type" and is. the Toledo Blade thinks.
the only notion put forward which
possesses nlausibility.'
The Buffalo Express supports this
theory thus: The change in world
conditions which has made the re-
appearance of piracy possible is the
taking Of Russia out of the list OF
civilized and responsible nations. To-
day any band OF criminals VINO coulo
seize a ship on the high seas and take
it into a Russian port could dispose
of it's cargo with great profit
The Boston Transcript inclines to the
same Interpretation, adding that ''it is
possible also that such gangs may have
acted under the orders of the soviet gov
eminent itself. and have constituted
part of it's forces" and the Syracuse
ost-Standard finds it mot impossible
that the old black flag Of piracy has
been replaced by the red
While this is delightfully."- dramatic,
the Brooklyn Eagle is inclined to scout
the idea Of Russia acquiring a merchant
marine by that process. because what
Russia could do with a merchant marine
if one were presented to her gratis it
would take a Philadelphia lawyer to find
out" The Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle also feels that soviet Russia
would have little to gain in such IAN
aimless. brainless enterprise"
Listing possible explanations OF the
mystery. the Chicago Post gives the
"humdrum theory that the sunken boats
are all Shipping Board craft that just
up and fell apart like the one-hoss
shay" which the Springfield Republican
advances more seriously. 1t must be
borne in mind. the Republican says.
that seldom have SO many obviously
seaworthy vessels been af1oat in recent
years." therefore, that the number of
mysterious disappearances should some
what increase is not very surprising"