The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1916. ON THE SEAS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 51, 5 February 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1916. ON THE SEAS.

The case of the Appam gives the Germans a further special opportunity of doing some fine lying, and also, incidentally, will somewhat bother President Wilson in his apparent anxiety not to offend Germany, Opportunely, from America’s viewpoint, Germany! has admitted the illegality of the sinking of the Lusitania, and the Ger-j man promise to pay will probably satsatisfy the American Government on that the meantime the decision in the Appam ease will he awaited with dee]) interest. The recently issued new rules which the United States drew up with regard to the treatment of jirmed merchantmen are not calculated to restore the confidence of the Allies in the American Government, for it is quite obvious that as no ships but those of the Allies, or those from neutral countries can reach American ports, it is ask-, ing too much of Britain, under all the circumstances, that she should rOlin-i quish any rights or any means of protecting her shipping against pure piracy simply in return for an undertaking by Germany which would he entirely ignored and which America could not possibly enforce. It has been pointed out by more than one authority that the right of merchantmen to arm for purely defensive pur-, poses is of very long-standing and quite universally recognised. Such a right has been fully recognised by the 1 United States in the past, and the present attempt to vary the existing international law and usage to Britain's disadvantage is difficult to understand. .Most liners carry one or two guns astern and they are obviously for the purpose of beating oil a sub-, marine or other pirate cralt. Iho j-pro-German propaganda is having its effect in high places in America when the Government can put lorth such a set of “rules” as Mr Lansing recently produced. The British foreign Office lias, with marvellous patience,' listened to a great deal ol talk trom Washington on matters regarding j which America has no earthly right to interfere, and it may lie presumed that with the same courtesy the present little incident will he brushed aside. !