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Show oo DELAY HAS BEEN SERIOUS. One of the most aggressively American Amer-ican editorials we have read, bearing on the submarine warfare of the Germans Ger-mans as affecting this country, Is In Collier's. It is not anti-Wilson, or anti-German, but wholly American and will appeal to those who give undivided undivid-ed allegiance to the United States. The article is as follows: "President Wilson's note the German Ger-man government and his address be fore Congress were as definite and as vigorous as anyone could wish. This is what the self-respect of the nation has demanded for more than a year. The response of the public must convince con-vince even the muddled politicians who are trying to make capital which will turn out to be most counterfeit by pandering to a section of the foreign for-eign vote They can now perceive the intensity of the feeling of an overwhelming over-whelming majority of Americans on the destruction of American lives by the Germah submarines It must also be something of a revelation to the President himself. The Inaction and delay that have followed warnings of almost eiual vehemence in the past have seemed to Indicate a fear on his part that a majority of the people wore not in accord with a policy of holding Germany to 'strict accountability- for her Insane conduct of the war and of Emitting no word or act in defense of the rights of our people. He can have no doubt now. In fact, if he were in closer touch with the public than his temperament permits him to bp. 1lP PmilH knntr ihol tlion. i- pected he would do In Ma)', 1915, exactly ex-actly what he has done In April, 1916 The long and tediouB exchange of legal leg-al arguments over a question that -tfas never really debatable has left a lurking lurk-ing fear that while his words are brave words they are only words after all. It is probably true that if he' had acted promptly after the Lusitanla butchery, and compelled Germany either to make amends and abandon the Tirpilz campaign, or risk the immediate im-mediate suspension of relations with this country, he would have accomplished accom-plished then all that he can possibly accomplish now and more and without with-out the same amount of risk. In the wasted interval of almost a year many precious liveB have been lost. German Ger-man public sentiment not then, we believe, entirely in sympathy with the frightful naval program, has been shaped by the press In accordance with the crazy designs of the most Intractable In-tractable of the naval office. What was in 1915 only the preliminary trial of a policy known to be grossly Illegal and not generally approved in Germany Ger-many has now become a settled practice prac-tice and almost venerable in the eyes of many Glermans. The year that has Dassed since the Lusitanla was sunk Is a year lost, and worse than lost. We said last week that "all the harm that delay can do has been done," and that is perfectly true, "But different minds have different methods. Mr. Wibon cannot he accused ac-cused of precipitancy. He doeB not share the general belief in prompt action. ac-tion. His patience has exceeded the virtue of the Christian martyrs. But if at times it has puzzled some of us and dismayed or angered others, his painful meditation has -finally resulted result-ed ina statement sufficiently forceful to express the long-pent indignation and anger of the American people. "What of the consequences? One thing is certain, and that Is that while a rupture of diplomatic relations is not war, It is the next thing to war. And whether Bernstorff goes home or stayB, this controversy and the final harsh words of tho President must intensify in-tensify the bitterness of a. powerful and inordinately vain government whoso humanity and honor have been questioned. In Bhort, by the acts of tho President or by the irresistible march of events, the country has been brought to a situation where war becomes be-comes a vivid possibility. This Is no time to argue oh the causes. The only thing for the people of this country coun-try to do now, the one purpose from whloh nothing Bh6uld turn their minds until It is accomplished, Is to demand swift and Btrong measures to prevent disaster to the Republic, If war should come. Americans who nursed the complacent belief that we are In some mysterious way sheltered from the rude turmoil of the world have suddenly sud-denly been brought face to face with the appalling fact that no country is under the protection of a special Providence. Pro-vidence. Even a peace-loving nation, if it Ib rich and Jealous of Its honor and its Tights, is always in danger. The question every sober-minded man must aBk himself first, and then his congressman, is: how can we defend the stand we have taken with so much assurance, and how proteot ourselves agnlnat the storm of national hatred which our policy has aroused? The President's message was not peace talk. Make no mistake about it: it was the kind of talk that usually precedes war. "It is hard to trace thp operations of the President's1 mind. On the- one hand he has followed a course that must inevitably bring us to a place of danger; on the other he has done nothing to protect Uie country in case the blow should fall." oo |