The Outlook 1916-01-12

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art Tew ms. Ort, ped. the ed.” ting was his ; he yy a yme out The the put ers; The Outlook JANUARY 12, 1916 Offices, 381 Fourth Avenue, New York THE STORY OF THE WAR: A WEEK OF MURDER AND FINE WORDS No one can understand the submarine campaign which has been going on for weeks in the eastern part of the Mediterranean who looks only at its most sensational events. It must be regarded as a whole—a planned, deliberate, systematic, remorselessly executed campaign. For a long time in the eastern Mediterranean there has been great shipping activity, both naval and mercantile ; the Allies have been transporting large bodies of troops to Salonika, from Gallipoli, and in other ways ; the commercial activity of the countries near the scene of action has been unusually large and extremely important. Against all this activity the Teuton allies have waged war. Whether the new-type, powerful submarines engaged were made in Germany (and are perhaps the same which carried on the mur- derous campaign in the waters about Great Britain), or whether they were made in parts in Germany and sent to Austria, or whether they were built in Austria, is of little moment ; if they were under Austrian commission, they are technically Austrian. But whether they are or not, the campaign is one of the united Central Powers, not of Austria alone. How extensive this submarine war has been and how great results have been ob- tained—results some of which are perfectly legitimate, as in sinking transports and in seizing ships lawfully; some of which are gained by violating recognized laws of naval warfare and humanity as expounded both by German and Austrian authorities—can be realized only by following from day to day } the many reports of vessels sunk or seized. We think it would be well within the mark to say that scores of ships have been attacked—some lawfully, some unlawfully. What is important to the present consid- eration is the fact that there is a large body of evidence going to show that the submarine commanders have throughout in this campaign made absolutely no distinc- tion between merchant ships and transports, between neutrals and combatants, between the enemy’s forces and non-combatants. They have struck first and inquired later ; or, rather, they have left it to their diplomatic departments to engage in the agile and elu- sive practice of that international correspond- ence method in which our State Department is so adept. With this situation in view, the Austrian note of last week, followed immediately by the atrocious sinking of the Persia, is per- fectly consistent. If it pleases our Adminis- tration to receive a note, well and good ; if the note displeases our Administration, then it may put forth more verbiage. From the naval point of view, as interpreted by those who issued commands to the submarine captains, the important thing is that the ships have been destroyed. The situation is well expressed by the New York “ Tribune” when it says: “If we are fighting for the letter, not the spirit, and for the phrase, not the fact, we have won.” THE PLEASANT AUSTRIAN NOTE AND THE PERSIA ATROCITY In one respect the Austrian note, as regards recognition of the principle involved, went much beyond anything that Germany has said. We refer to the following pgra- graph: “ The Austro-B§; agarian Govein- ment, too, can positively concur in the princi- ple that enemy private vessels, so far as they do not, flee or offer resistance, shall not be destroyed before the persons aboard are secured.” Here, it will be noticed, is no distinction between “ liners’ and other mer- chant vessels. The statement is at least capable of interpretation as sound interna- tional law, although one might wish a little more distinct definition of what is meant— for instance, a clearer announcement that private vessels which flee and afterwards stop are not subject to punishment, but at once resume their status as non-combatant 49