The Dominion. TUESDAY', MARCH 28, 1916. TERRORISING NETURALS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2731, 28 March 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY', MARCH 28, 1916. TERRORISING NETURALS

Something like a panic apparently exists in Dutch, Norwegian, and Danish maritime circles as a result of the recent exploits of German submarines. It is even reported from Amsterdam that _ though the Government is providing an escort preceded by mine-sweepers,. many shipping companies are not taking" risks until reasonable safety is assured. A somewhat similar state of affairs appears to obtain in Denmark and Norway. It is thus becoming possible to assign another motive than unreflecting savagery for tho later activities of the enemy submarines. Germany is once again attempting to institute a blockade by. terror—an attempt in which she has thus far signally failed. All things considered, there is no reason to suppose that her submarines are capable now of approaching much nearer to decisive results in their .murderous war on shipping than in tho' long test of the campaign which was formally inaugurated a little over a year ago. The novelty now introduced consists not in any unexpected or surprising improvement in the efficiency of the submarines—at all events no more lias been accomplished as yet in the current revival of the campaign than might be accounted for by a comparatively small reinforcement \of the . underwater flotillas—but in the apparent decision to run amok amongst neutral ships of all descriptions in the hopo of scaring them off the seas. For practical purposes the submarine campaign has from the outset been one of bluff, in the sense that Germany has never been within measurable distance of blockading Great Britain or any Allied country.. We have not all the detail facts in hand, but it is undoubtedly true that' all past attempts to institute such a blockade have collapsed in ignominious failure. A toll by no means) negligible was taken of the British ships against which the campaign was chicly directed, but tho ways of sea-commerce were never seriously interrupted; a very large number of the raiders were captured or sent to the bottom; and to-day the tonnage of the British mcroantile marine ■ is greater than ever. The gaps made by the submarines have been much more than filled. In a word, tho outcome of the campaign, while il was chiefly directed against Great Britain, was that its material results were in tho final analysis' negligible, and that not a single British ship was bluffed into staying in port, Now Germany has opened-a new chapter in the submarine campaign which excels any previous chapter for criminality,. except as .- regards the number of human victims.' Itmust be' admitted that tho authors" of this latest effort are able at the moment to point to | visible results. A cursory glance at the spectacle' of Dutch ships sheltering in their ports and afraid to put to sea might even suggest that Germany has contrived to snatch- a partial victory out of the' very jaws of defeat; but a more careful examination of visible facts will -prompt somewhat different conclusions. It is true that the present attitude of neutrals and of neutral shipping is in marked contrast to the conditions which obtained in Britain and in the British mercantile marine when the submarine campaign was at its height, and the, raiders were doing even more damage in a given time than they have done of late. So long as she can frighten neutral ships off the soas around Great Britain, Germany is something to the good. We do not know to what extent Britain and her Allies are dependent upon the coming and going of neutral ships, but no doubt the exclusion of these vessels, though not of decisive military importance; would be serious, But the apparent advantage that Germany has gained is to bo measured in the fight of surrounding and relevant circumstances. . It \is only so that it will be possible to accurately assess the. advantage and form an opinion as to whether it is likely to be retained. The arresting fact at the moment is not that the German submarines have created a panic in some neutral nations, but that Germany has set her hand against every man in a fashion from which even she has hitherto shrunk What she has accomplished for the time being,- Germany has accomplished by throwing off all disguise, and taking up the attitude of an outlaw towards' all neutral nations whose ships come Within the cruising range of her submarines. From outlaw tactics directed against the Allies, and spasmodically against neutral nations, she has proceeded to an outlawry . which acknowledges no limits. Full proof of the fact is in plain sight The latest chapter' of the submarine campaign is remarkable, not for the number of ships destroyed (though that is considerable), but on account of the fact thatthfi raiders have evidently destroyed any ship that came in their way, careless of all distinctions. On no other hypothesis is it possible to account for the torpedoing of two Dutch liners outward bound to tho East Indies: As likely as not thoso ships may have carried German export goods, in neutral disguise. It is quite possible that Germany is worse, instead of better, off now that they are sunk. Another feature of the development in outlawry is seen in the sinking of a British passenger liner and .a packet steamer. Both had Americans aboard, and American lives were lost; Attacks on passenger steamers of., this type are a form of outrage from which Germany had abstained for a time while seeking to patch up some sort of settlement with America over the Lusitania crime. From the American standpoint, the sinking of theso ships is in principle on all fours with tho sinking of the Lusitania, and unless America is craven to tho core there •should now be an end to the temporising which took shape in tho Lusitania Notes.

Our immediate point is that tho Latest chapter in the submarine campaign has been thus far simply an orgy of murder and destruction, not merely violating international law, but conducted as i-f no such thing as law or right existed in tho world. Germany has succeeded for the time in imposing restrictions upon the sea-borne commerce, not of hor ene>

mies, but of neutral nations with whom she lias nominally no quarrel. It is essential to the success of her policy of mingled outrage and bluff that those neutral nations should bo content to rest supine- under every murderous indignity she cares to inflict. , Having failed to blockade Great' Britain, she hopes to inflict at least inconvenience upon Great Britain by blockading Norway, Denmark, and Holland. Doubtless, it is Germany's hope also _ that these nations, instead of resisting and resenting her crimes, will bo intimidated into'assisting her to gain the inconclusive peace which now represents her last hope. Unless they arc broken in spirit, Norway, Denmark, and Holland will take another decision. They have means of mat ing Germany feel their displeasure without going to war, though war itself would be a natural reply to such outrages as they have endured.. The challenge to America admits of no dispute. Such agreement as has been reached over the Lusitania case has shared the fate of many another scrap of paper within reach of German hands, and American citizens have again been murdered, both in the packet Sussex and the liner Englishman, in circumstances which admit neither of palliation nor excuse. As determining whether the United States-and the smaller neutral nations concerned are prepared to tolerate anything and everything i in the way of murderous outrage, Germany's latest departure in submarine warfare should be conclusive. The decision of the neutrals is awaited, but meantime it seema possible to class this departure as in essentials on all fours with the tactics of the beast at bay to. which Germany is reduced on land. Even Germany might have been expected to shrink from attempting to establish a partial blockade at the cost of committing unforgivable outrages upon f our neutral nations, one of them the' United States. _ The recent rumours on the subject of the A'ON Tirpitz resignation are an. indication that one party in Germany did in fact oppose the policy which has now been adopted. Evidently the .decision turned against this party, and the decision is likely to prove in the end a fatal one for Germany.-