The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1916. STRAINED RELATIONS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2755, 26 April 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1916. STRAINED RELATIONS

♦ ' The controversy between Washington and Berlin regarding Germany's unlawful methods of submarine warfare has once more reached an acute point. A day or two ago we were told that the situation had become so serious that a rupture of diplomatic relations between the two na--1 tions was inevitable. But we have heard a lot of this sort of talk since tiro war began, • yet nothing more serious than pen-and-ink battles has so far resulted. The aim of German diplomacy has been t-o avoid a clearcut iss'ue, and to gain as much time as possible by procrastination and prevarication. Germany will not meet America's demands with, a straight-out refusal, nor will she definitely accede to them. She prefers to continue the argument. At one ' time it seemed as if President Wilson had forced Germany to abandon her piratical campaign against merchantmen. But fair words were soon followed by foul deeds, and the submarine "frightfulness," . against which • President Wilson has so strongly protested, is being carried on to-day. more l , extensively than cveiy Has America now really determined to put an end to futile parleying, and to insist upon her demand that the submarine campaign must be made to conform to the principles of international law ? A day or two ago it looked as if the United States Government had decided to brook no further shuffling or delay, but now the argument is being resumed once more, and rumour points to concessions arid an amicable settlement. ' It is_ stated .that the \Vash--1 ington authorities will look favourably upon an immediate declaration by Germany that she will abandon submarine attacks without warning, and will destroy prizes only in calm weather, near shore, pending a discussion_ of the equities ana, principles involved! It is difficult to see what good purpose can be served by further controversy. The "equities and principles" have already been _ discussed with wearisome iteration and reiteration from almost every conceivable point of'view. 1 We are told that a strong influence is working in Germany for a peaceful solution of the problem, hut the German newspapers appear to have adopted a defiant attitude. One of them goes so far as to hurl back at President Wilson the threat of a "navdl war with all it means and all its consequences." These German newspapers seem to have a very poor opinion of the intelligence of Ameriicans Vwhen they expcct them to be'lieve such patent falsehoods as the assertion that Germany has "so far guarded the interests of all neutrals that no clash of opinion has arisen." Almost every day a neutral ship is sent to the bottom of the sea by a German submarine. This is the German way of guarding the interests of neutrals. One wonders what Germans expect to gain by making state-" ments so obviously false? One German newspaper declares , that President Wilson wants war. ! He certainly does not war, but Germany may make it impossible for him to maintain peace. Much depends upon' the contents of the reply which the Kaiser and his advisers will send to the latest American _ Note'. i . President Wilson's foreign policy has been very severe- ; ly criticised in America. When he i informed the world that his country ! was too proud to fight, he placed : himself at a great disadvantage in dealing with a State, like Germany, which pays no heed to the representations of any nation that is not prepared to back up its protests by force if necessary. But the progress of events has convinced the President that his "too proud ,to fight" policy was a mistake, and he has > since declared that there are limits '• to America's endurance. JBis.atti- • tude has certainly been lacking in * constancy. Its inconstancy has arisen from the difficulty of reconJ tiling two fundamental popular de- ! sires—the maintenance of peace and , the assertion o/ -Vmerioan rights when infringed by the belligerents. 3 This opinion is expressed in an iii--5 structive article, entitled "President 3 Wilson and his Critics," which appears in , the March number of the Bound Table. The desire to preserve friendly relations with all the belligerents ,in order that America might eventually play the part of mediator involves an unwillingness to proceed to extremes which causes' a great loss of power in upholding * America's rights. An increasingly i large number of Americans of the • best type have to the conclusion that the United States has not played a very noble part in "lis _ crisis of civilisation. They do not !. advocate war, but a middle course— - |ienevolent neutrality towards the e Allies. These critics of President " Wilson's policy (says the Bound Table) rosont that the United Stales, while acquiring riches at an accelerated pace, should asEert its property t interests so as to'hamper the full : effect of sea pow'er; they regard the Teutonic conspiracies in America as a national humiliation, and criticise the Administration for its failure to

cope with tho situation; they think that the prolonged controversy over the submarine question and the gr,i- : dual narrowing of tho American contentions has . been a mortifying anti-climax. Many Americans a;o still further, and "contend that more than ample provocation has been given to warrant the rupture of diplomatic relations with the Teutonic Powbrs." The American llights Committee, which.was formed in New York towards the end of last year, is in favour of this step, and recently asserted that the time had come when the American people "ought to take some definite stand on the great issue of civilisation versus inhumanity now being decided on the European oattle'fields." All this ' indicates that the United States Government is determined to take a firmer stand in its dealings with Germany. The latest development regarding the treatment of armed merchantmen points in the same direction. Some time ago it • was stated that those vessels would' not _be allowed to sail from American ports. Now we are told that all French liners will bs armed, and that a change is about to take place in the attitude of the United States Government in this connection. Important developments may be expected in tho near future.