Evening star., 1925-10-16

restricted warfare American ships kept
| for period, within American harbors
They feared to leave, for they were
helpless before submarine attack and
knew that they would be torpedoed
The Government itself was unable to
| afford them any protection. This hui
| initiating situation oppressed Page, as
it did oil right-thinking Americans and
all friends Of America in other coun.
tries.
Zimmerman Letter Published.
law introduced in Congress and
supported strongly by President VII.
son authorized the arming of Ameri-
can merchant vessels. If they were
permitted to carry guns the captains
or these vessels We're prepared to run
the gauntlet Of the submarines; quite
properly they declined to do so with
out such means of defense. This pro-
posed law disclosed an ugly situation
in the United States Senate.
The purpose was to give American
SHIPS a certain protection against the
attacks OF German submarines, vet a
small minority Of the upper chamber,
led by Senators La Toilette and Stone
and assisted by the antiquated Senate
rules. used all their ingenuity in eff.
1orts to prevent the matter from COM
ing to a vote. Only an amendment to
the Senate rules at last enabled the
majority to pass the measure.
The most ensational episode of this
period, however, was the publication
on March l Of a telegram from DR..
AIRED zimmerman, German foreign
secretary, to the German Minister in
MEXICO, outlining Il scheme for an al
lance of Germany, Japan and Mexico
against the United States. and for the
recession, In case of victory, of Texas,
New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico.
Inc hopes, the fears. the uncertainties.
the occasional flashes of encourage
ment and approval that possessed
Pages mind in the face Of these events
are mirrored in his rather haphazard
and informal jottings. They are
merely the expression Of f1eeting and
varying moods; but the period itself
was variable one; and these para.
graphs have n great historic and psy-
cholog1cal interest as portraying what
was undoubtedly the state OF the nor
mai American mind during that great
crisis OF doubt and Of hope. The
quickness with which Page notes his
approval of the Presidents act, when
they justify such approval, and the
eagerness with which he watches for
any sign Of positive action. are not
their least characteristic features.
Tells of Submarine Menace.
February 25. 1917
1t is monfentous time. First the
submarine menace. The submarines
are destroying shipping at an ap-
palling rate. The percentage of lost
ships-of all the ships af1oat-is
small, of course; and the hopeful men
are always reminding lis how small
1t is. This, to give comfort to the
population. But there is a menace,
neVertheleSS-a very grave menace.
The small number of ships that can
carry food-that can be spared from
war uses-makes this percentage com
fort smaller than it seems. On the
other hand, nobody knows. outside
the admiralty how fast the navy is
capturing or destroying the subma-
rines. After all, everything depends
on this latter fact. The hope that
get is. since the navy has twice over
come vigorous submarine attacks,
they are likely to overcome this one
True, the Germans now have more
submarines, larger ones and stronger
but the navy has had corresponding