The Dominion. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1015. NEUTRALS AND THE GERMAN PERIL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2443, 23 April 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1015. NEUTRALS AND THE GERMAN PERIL

The American Secretary of State (Mr, Bryan) has given a direct and decisive reply to the memorandum of the German Ambassador (Count Bernstorff), complaining that tho export of arms and ammunition from the United States to. belligerents is an infringement of neutrality. It has been one of the objects of tho German propaganda in the United States to bring pressure to bear on the Government to take action to prevent' the _ sale of munitions of war to Britain and France, but such an extraordinary proposal finds littlo support among any section of tho community except the GermanAmericans, The sale of arms and ammunition by traders of neutral States to belligerents is quite in accordance with the recognised usage of nations. The Germans know this well enough, and Count Behnstorfs is only endeavouring to stir up sympathy for Germany by creating the impression that she is not getting fair play. The United States Government does not prohibit the exportation of munitions to Germany. If any trader feels inclined to take tho risks connected with this form of commerce the authorities will not atop him. The Allies would, however, treat all such shipments as contraband, and their chances of reaching their destination would bo exceedingly small. Mr. Bryak states the position unanswerably when he points out that it is Germany's misfortune if she is unable to convey arms to her homo ports. Tho German Ambassador is practically asking America to take'a course of action which would tend to deprive the Allies of the advantages which their superior sea power confers upon them. It is not the United States Government that is preventing the, export of munitions of war to Germany or making it safe to send them to Britain and Franco. That is what the British Navy is doing, and if .Germany wants to stop the Allies from drawing supplies of. arms and ammunition from tne other side of the-Atlantic she must defeat their naval forces. It is no use whining at Washington because she is being throttled. by the grip which the British Navy holds on Tier throat. Mr. Bryan is on unshakable ground when he declares that it would be a real breach of neutrality for the United States to prohibit exports to the Allies. By taking such a step America would be going out of her way to help Germany and hinder the Entente Powers. It would be a most unfriendly act from the point of view of the Allies, and Mr. Bryan's Not© shows that bis Government has not the slightest intention of playing into Germany's hands in the way suggested by Count Bernstorff.

It is quite certain that Ma. Bryan's reply to the German Ambassador's memorandum will meet with the hearty approval of the vast majority of the people of the United States. From the commencement of the war the weight of public opinion in America haslieen in favour of the Allies, and during the last few months the feeling of antagonism to Germany has considerably increased. It is generally recognised that Germany's triumph in this war would place the world at the mercy of a ruthless military despotism. Almost every neutral nation would be glad to see the Germans thoroughly beaten. The success o! Germany, Austria, and Turkey "must be for the neutral Powers a disaster of the first magnitude," says the Spectator. If this.is so, the question naturally arises, how is it that the neutral Powers have not taken a hand in the game and done their best to prevent such a calamity'? The answer which the Spectator gives to this question is that the neutral countries do not really believe in the possibility of a final victory for Germany and her sui'i'llites, and tliey have no wish, to take part in « (vrriblc war if the Prussian mailed fist can be smashed without their help. There may not be anything heroic about this attitude, but it is easv to understand. There, is-a good deal uf common sense in it, and it is useless to blame neutrals for keeping out of the struggle if they can do so without imperilling their own liberties and interests.' But no nation which values its independence could, without the gravest misgivings, look idly on if Germany seemed likely to realise her audacious i-ivum* wnvlrl diimiwinn. vlci tarioits Gonaiuu; would bo a £ojtw ,

to cvory'other nation on earth, great and small. The Americans well know that if the Germans should emerßii triumphant from this tremendous conflict they would not allow their path of expansion to be barred by the Jloxiioe Doctrine, and atrial 'of strength with the United States would come sooner or later. How oan any neutral country help hoping for the downfall of a Power which regards inconvenient treaties as mere scraps of paper, and has 110 respect for the dictates of international law 1 There can be no real peace or security for the world until the "mad dog of Europe" is chained up. The neutral nations are well aware of this, and seem to bo quite confident in the ability of Britain and her Allies to perform this unpleasant duty.