Show door AMERICAS RESPONSE TO GERMANYS CHALLENGE drawn suddenly toward tha niall strom in of this gi gigantic gintle war by bir tho torpedoing of the lusitania and the in ni I 1 ingot ng of more than a hundred american and children the native men i women american press meets the crisis with a steadiness and a virtual unity ot of spirit that must bring comfort as the pittsburg dispatch remarks to the th clear eyed statesman in the white house whose single fingl e aim and one prayer in this moment is the welfare of his countrymen we can only stand and wait united in our determination to enforce the will ot of our government tribune all americans amans says the chicago eric ans of undivided allegiance are behind the government at washington declares the new york sun this assurance is echoed by the press of all sections happily there is every sign that the people are substantially of one mind in the existing test ot of our government remarks the new york evening post which notes among the newspapers ot of tile the united states printed in english only two the st louis times and the milwaukee free press which defend the sinking of the lusitania the nation heard with deep satisfaction of 0 the presidents re solve to demand of 0 germany reparation for f or past wrongs and guarantees that they shall not be repeated declares the new york times which rejoices that lie he maxes his protest and demand in the name of international law and that he is with conscience with sincerity and with firmness seeking to avert the great calamity of war involving us in the greater calamity ot of supine toleration of unbearable wrongs germany must find means to carry on her war without putting our citizens to death declares the same paper in another issue and suggests that this is a demand in which other nations will have a right to join since there were danes swedes greeks italians and other neutrals aboard the lusitania if this is the way germany proposes to make war it if this is the measure of her humanity adds the times then all neutral nations are on notice that the complete defeat of germany and eradication of the military spirit or of germany are essential to their peace and eatery vany many papers call attention to the fact that the killing of american citizens on board the lusitania was not only without the slightest sanction of international law or the usages of 0 cit warfare but was a diree direct defiance ol of the warning given to the german government by the government of the united states a few days after the publication of the warzone war zone jle decree cree in ili this warning Fres president ident gave notice that germany would ba held to strict accountability arll it the activities of her submarines in the warzone war zone resulted in the destruction of american ships or the loss of american lives this notice remarks the cincinnati times star has been answered both by the destruction st of an american ship and by the destruction of american lives on british ships germany has done exactly what the united states told her with all the force of her po position si as a great power must not be done remarks the baltimore news nev s and adds we can not recede from that stand germany would never have committed this atrocious act it if she had not scorned the presidents warning says the providence journal the american people dont want to become involved in the war remarks the savannah news and they dont want g their government to be placed in the position of of retreating from any position it has taken and in the chicago herald we read our german american friends and fellow citizens thru their press and in interviews lay great emphasis on the warnings warning which the germ german a government gave to their mie american rad fellow citizens slaughtered an m board the lust osnia why do they I 1 vo I 1 I 1 V that other government of the united states their government to which they owe and at least profess alle allegiance glarice gave to the german government with respect to the strict accountability to which it would be held by the american people it if american liv lives should be snuffed out in the german submarine campaign which warning Is 13 a loyal american bound most to consider to which must lie he give the greatest weight to that of 0 a loreign foreign government him with death if lie he goes along a public highway upon hla his lawful business or to that ot of his own government pro promising g him protection te on wherever on the worlds highway lie might travel in ili a peaceable manner with lawful intents in a word should american citizens Z turn their eyes and andears lears tor for guidance to washington or berlin while we shall not make war now to avenge those who have been murdered says the new york tribune we shall not continue to avoid war if 1 the question becomes one of defending those who still live hundreds ot of americans are now on the sea and approaching pro aching tile the warzone war zone notes the new york globe and we must have assurance that what has been done shall not be done again the american people do not want war with germany it if war can be honorably avoided but that question must be decided in berlin not in washington declares the new york world which goes on to s say ay we know our rights under international law and we are not without means ot of enforcing those rights furthermore ther more those rights will be enforced peaceably it if possible but by force it if necessary it is for he german government to say whether it desires peace or war with the united states it it desires peace with the united states there will be no more Lusi taula massacres there will be no more gulf light incidents there will bo be no more attacks of any kind upon american ships and american citizens engaged in the exir exercise exorcise cise of their lawful rights it if germany wants war with the united states she has only to continue in ili the course that she is now pursuing but if germany does not desire peace with the united states it if she rejects our mr demands is war really the only alternative an affirmative answer seems implicit in the attitude of such papers as the memphis commercial appeal boston transcript providence journal washington times and baltimore news IV is impossible that america shall continue to be the victim of war without being a party to the affair declares the washington times and the boton boston transcript affirms that absolute disavowal abject apology ample reparation and satisfactory assurances that the crime will not be repeated can alone save germany from war with the united states if the united states Is to retain its to a place in ili the f family amily of civilized and beltre specking spec tinK ting powers As chief of the neutral nations says the chicago dally news tile the united states owes ihnot only to itself but to the cause of civilization liza tion to stand up firmly for the rights of neutrals and to resort to other and perhaps more effective measures it if diplomacy falls on the other liand hand the hartford courant remarks our protests may well be loud and vigorous but that Is about all that we ran can do and the spring held republican which thinks that a war for redress or reprisal would not be within the bounds of reason predicts that there will be found ways to vindicate this count rys rights lights and dignity without resort to a state of war that would be fruitless and perhaps ridiculous because the belligerents would be in no position to do each other harm the question of 0 our next step it if germany refuses our demands says the philadelphia record has many puzzling aspects because our military strength Is so small that in a final resort to arms it would count for nothing our navy is of fair size and excellent material but sil so long as germany declines to fight on the water preferring to wage undersea warfare against defenseless vessels the addition of our navy t to cp that of the allies would be superfluous by our geographical position our actions would thus be greatly circumscribed in tact fact it Is difficult to see what effective move could be made such considerations side rations must be borne in mind when drastic action is ur urged ed 11 germany has probably come to the conclusion that the united states can not do her much harm and therefore that friendly relationship with this country is a matter of entire indifference to her thinks the sioux city tribune and the wall cstreet journal going further suggests that it if germany is trying to provoke war with this country there may be a method in her madness since our ships added to the fleets which have already destroyed her commerce could make little difference while the obligation laid upon us to increase our own resources in munitions of war and foodstuffs would to that extent hamper the allies it Is reasonably assured adds this paper that the allies would much prefer that the united states should remain neutral and turning again to the springfield republican we read what could german militarism like better than to detach the united states from its place at the head of the ne neutral atral nations and thrust it we a apo 1 ot of important belligerency it if war i js ta eventuate remarks the new york call its results will be tar far more important and ominous for the german people who live among us than for the germans overseas this reminds us sharply of the statement heard more than once since the european war began bega that there are at least twice as many german and austrian reservists in the united states than there are men in our standing army it also brings up the question what would be the attitude in case of war of our millions of german americans whose sympathies have up to the present been so strongly with their fatherland in the war it is waging some of their sp spokesmen esmen as quoted in another article in this issue where german americans stand have already declared themselves ele with will the president of the united states to the finish in all matters affecting national honor or national prestige and the new york evening post remarks that for our hartwe have never had a doubt of the entire loyalty of the vast majority of them the hyphen was with the lusitania declares the new york herald and henceforth there can be no divided allegiance on the other hand german geman americans nave leave written I 1 to the papers suggesting that war with germany might lead to civil war in the united states and tho the frankfurter Zel tung one ot of the most influential papers in germany recently boasted that america would bo be impotent in any contest with germany because of the presence here of german immigrants and their children who still think along german lines in this connection it is interesting to turn to these words by president wilson th in philadelphia on may alay 10 to some four thousand newly naturalized zed citizens you cannot dedicate yourself to america unless you become in every respect and with every purpose of your will tho thorough americans you can not become thorough americans it if you think of yourselves in group groups S america does not consist of groups A man who thinks himself as belon belonging 9 to a particular national group in america has not yet become an american and the man who goes among you to trade upon your nationality is no worthy son to live under tile the stars and stripes president wilsona wilsons Wil sona sons note to the german government on the sinking of the Lusi lusitania tanta concludes with the statement that the united states totes covern government will not omit a any ny word or any act necessary to the performance of its sacred duty of maintaining the rights of the united states and its citizens and of safeguarding their free exercise and enjoyment among these indisputable rights of american citizens the president includes the right to go about their lawful business on the high seas even on oil merchant ships of belligerent nationality to insure this right lie he virtually calls tor for a cessation of germanys germanas Germ anys submarine warfare on merchantmen merchantman merchant men he also calls tor for a disavowal by the german government of such acts as the killing of leon C thrasher the aeroplane attack on the cushing the torpedoing of the Gult Gul light flight and the murdering of americans on the lusitania after complimenting the german government on the humane and enlightened attitude hitherto assumed by it in matters of international right he refers to the warning to neu neutrals trail contained in germanys germanas Germ anys original warzone proclamation and goes on to say this government has already taken occasion to inform the imperial government that it can not admit the adoption of such measures or such a warning of danger to operate as in any degree an abbreviation of the rights of american shipmasters ship masters ar of american citizens bound on lawal lawful errands as passengers on merchant ships of 0 belligerent nationality and that it must hold the imperial german government to a strict accountability for any infringement of these rights intentional or incidental manifestly can not be used against merchantmen merchantman merchant men without an inevitable violation of many sacred principles of justice and humanity referring to the famous drath not ice the president points out that no warning that an unlawful and inhumane act will be committed can possibly be accepted as an excuse or palliation for that act or as an abatement of the responsibility for its commission declaring that the commanders who committed such acts against us must have done so under alsap rc haslon of orders he expresses confident expectation that the imperial german government will disavow the acts of which the government of the united states complains that they will make reparation so far as reparation Is possible for injuries which are without measure and that they will take immediate steps to prevent the recurrence of anything so obviously subversive of the principles of warfare tor for which the imperial german government have in the past so wisely and so firmly coul ended literary Lite tary digest |