NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16382, 9 November 1916, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

MR. WILSON AND THE BLACK LIST. During the American electoral campaign the New York Outlook declared that "the viciousness of the course pursued by our Congress in dealing with the black list is emphasised by the viciousness of the course pursued by our President in dealing with the German submarines. When Americans by the score were murdered on the high seas, in violation not only of the principles of international law, but of the principles of humanity, we made a protest ; but we did not venture on any reprisal. We continued to treat Germany as a friendly Power in our protests, and to say complimentary things to her, and up tc the present time have taken no efficient measures to protect the rights of Americans to travel freely on the high seas. But when England interferes with our trade we do not stop at protest; we propose vigorous measures of reprisal. It is true that the Act of Congress does not require reprisal. It leaves the matter to the discretion of the President; and we hope that the President will have the discretion not to exercise the authority which the Act confers upon him. But it is also true that the passage of the Act has served to stimulate in at least one of the southern republics a proposal to similar action, and to stimulate in this country the unfriendly feeling towards Great Britain already aroused by her black list. When our citizens are murdered, our Government protests and does nothing ; when our trade is interfered with, our Government not only protests, but prepares to hit back. It is not strange that satirists abroad think we care more for property than for life."

HAD MR. HUGHES BEEN PRESIDENT

According to Mr. Roosevelt, who has been advocating the election of Mr. Hughes to the American Presidency, a Hughes Administration would not have j recognised in American citizenship any dual allegiance. It would have prepared itself with strength " so as to guarantee our own safety, and also to treat every foreign nation, in any given crisis, as its conduct in that crisis demands." It would couple universal suffrage with " a system of universal obligatory military training in time of peace, and in time of , war universal service in whatever capacity the man or woman shall be judged most fit to serve the commonwealth." It would have dealt firmly with Mexican anarchy, and it would not have stood hesitant and afraid while every principle of international law and every right of neutral and noncombatant were violated on land and at sea by the German policy of terrorism. It would have protested against the invasion of Belgium, against the murder of Miss Cavell and Captain Fryatt, against the torpedoing of merchant vessels and the dropping of bombs on unfortified cities and peaceful women and children. It would have done whatever was necessary to emphasise the condemnation of this? unwarlike degradation of war. It would have invited the other neutral nations to join itin/such condemnation "America could and should have put itself at the head of all the neutral nations, by its example if not by direct diplomatic agreements, in demanding that the war should be conducted in accordance with the usage of civilised nations, that international law should be observed, that the rights of neutrals and non-combatants should be respected. If this spirit had animated our Administration,.there would probably have been no invasion of Belgium, no fears of a like fate to terrorise other smaller nations, no torpedoing of merchant vessels, no bombarding of churches and hospitals,' no massacring of women and children, no murder of Mi Cavell and Captain Fryatt. no attempted extermination of ' the Armenians." *"

WHY MR. WILSON SHOULD GO.

In urging the American people to defeat Mr. Wilson, the New York Outlook said :—«' We have in official Notes incidentally mentioned the rights of neutrals, but we have made no attempt to protect those rights by action, and no attempt to organise the forces of neutrals in even so much as a protest in support of those rights. The only example we have set has been our apathy, if not our acquiescence, in the flagrant disregard of the neutral rights of Belgium; and the | only action which we have proposed.' to take against the violation of neutrality has been this proposed reprisal, purposed to protect, not the rights of neutrals throughout the world, not even the rights of Americans to their lives, but the rights of our own trade threatened by unfriendly action. We must also remember that our official indifference to the great issues involved in this war is the more perplexing to the allies, since they cannot easily understand why, if a people have a common sympathy, it should not be reflected in their governmental action. In England, France, and Italy government changes with the changes in public sentiment. No administration can long survive in those countries a radical change m public opinion, because that change is reflected in the Legislative Assemblv, and the action of the Legislative Assembly determines the life of the administration England, France, and Italy have in effect, though not in form, the recall, and only the ,very well-educated Englishman, Frenchman, and Italian can fail to believe that in a free government the policy of a national administration reflects public opinion. Unless the people should decree a radical change in administration and publ.c policy, we shall find at the end of the war that we have sown for ourselves in all nations the seeds of disrespect, if not of open hostility, and prepared for ourselves a possible harvest of calamity in the not far-distant future. No nation can stand alone."

A BILL FOR GERMANY. The Institute of London Underwriters is ad-vising insurance companies to file, without delay, with the directors of the Foreign Claims Office, Foreign Office, particulars of all losses paid owing to destruction of merchant vessels by enemy submarines. Claims for such losses are distinct from claims to be made by insurance offices for premiums due from enemy insurance offices and for claims in respect of losses under reinsurance treaties with such companies- It is understood that since the outbreak of war particulars of every loss paid by underwriters at Lloyd's on ships and cargoes destroyed by the enemy have been supplied to the committee, and are carefully recorded. Although, thanks to the navy, the wanton activities of enemy submarines have been kept within limits, the bill to be presented by underwriters on account of property destroyed, for repayment by Germany, will amount to a very large figure.