THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1915. THE UNITED- STATES AND GERMANY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13791, 11 June 1915, Page 4

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1915. THE UNITED- STATES AND GERMANY.

The resignation of Mr Bryan, President Wilson's Secretary of State, is an event wliich. seems to have occasioned less surprise than satisfaction in America, where 'it is evidently held to presage a stiffening of tho official attitude towards the flagrant injury and indignity the country has suffered at, the hands of Germany. most noteworthy feature of Mr Bryan's official career has been his futile endeavour to secure expression in international treaties of the ideals of- peace of which he is an ardent disciple. In his advocacy of arbitration as a solution of all disputes likely to disturb international relations Mr. Bryan has gone further than most pacificists, who have usually reserved questions affecting national honour from tho category of subjects for arbitration. The extent cf-Mr.'Bryan's-obsession is shown by the fact that he was anxious to arbitrate on the piratical' destruction of American ships and the wholesale murder of American citizens on the high \seas, with the Power which has so signally demonstrated its contempt for international law and decency. To what extent President; Wilson's policy will be modified by the removal of the leader of iJie ultra-pacificist members of the Cabinet, by whom lie is said to have been dominated, remains to be seen. The Now York papers anticipate that the Government will deal with tho situation in the" spirit of ■ the several Notes .which have been addressed to Berlin since the declaration of the" submarine crusade against commerce. The first of these was despatched on February I2th, before the official "blockade" began. It dealt with the illegality of the i course Germany t , proposed to adopt in restricting the free use of the sea to neutral vessels, and went on to say : "If commanders of German vessels of war should destroy on high seas American vessels, or the lives of American citizens, it would bo difficult for the Government of the United States to view the act in any ether light than an indefensible violation of neutral rights, which would be very hard indeed u> reconcile with the friendly, relations now so happily subsisting between the two Governments. If such a deplorable situation should arise the Imperial German Government

can readily appreciate that the Government of the United States would be constrained to hold the Imperial Go-, vernment to strict accountability for such acts of their naval authorities, and, to take any stepfi which might be neces- j sary to safeguard American lives and | property and to secure to American! citizens the full enjoyment cf their acknowledged rights' on the high seas."' Germany's practical reply to the United States was a series of attacks upon.. American ships, involving in one'jcaee the loss of American lives. These outrages were the.subject of remonstrance by the Washington Government, and they were all covered in the Note Avhich expressed the United States', view of the crowning outrage of the Lusitania. To that protest Germany has returned temporising, evasive, and irrelevant replies. America is now reiterating her demands for reparation and a guarantee of freedom from molestation of American citizens and shipping. The most drastic action the United States is likely to take in the event cf the response being unsatisfactory, as there is reason to. believe it will be, is to sever diplomatic relations .with Germany, a step which in the present circumstances would not be likely to lead to America becoming actively involved in the war.