The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, MAY 8, 1916. AMERICAN HONOUR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 108, 8 May 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, MAY 8, 1916. AMERICAN HONOUR.

(With which is incorporated The Tai bape Post and Waimarino News.)

It seeffis as though American trust is once more to be placed in German asLast January it looked as though ]the limit of strain on American intelligence and patience had been reached. It has, however, withstood other, and perhaps stronger, trials without giving much sign of breaking —in fact, the American attitude with Germany has become quite incomprehensible to us. The motives that actuate America are not known or understood by anyone outside the United States sufficiently well to follow the workings and reasonings of the American mind. What Germany’s voluminous Note to America really conveys is nothing at all new; staring through the whole confusing verbiage is the same old proposal, “You raise the British blockade and let us import and export what "we like without British interference and we will stop submarining British and neutral merchantmen.” Despite the fact that Germany ’s first acts of war included the most flagrant breaches of international law, she, in her latest Note, indignantly repudiates the suggestion, even, that she has in any way violated international lawn While she is causing the slaughter of millions of human lives to acquire mastery on land, Germany is wailing like an imbecile because America won’t insist upon Germany being granted full freedom of the seas. It is evident that the outside world cannot understand what actuates American forbearance, for, after repeated threats and warnings, couched in strongest terms, it is probable that the United States will accept German assurances for the future, and will not break off diplomatic relations till other outrages are committed. It is amazing what amount of American life can be deliberately taken before American honour reflects the insults. Hundreds of her citizens have been murdered by Germany, even men in the highest walks of social and political life, not omitting members of her Ambassadorial service, and yet further outrages are to be committed before the brightness of American honour

can be tarnished sufficiently to necessitate a shining-up operation. It is obvious we do not understand; we do not know what America knows; what the motives are t-hat induces the accumulation of insults and injuries to be suffered without forceful resentment. The whole thing, judged from the standpoint of British honour, is an enigma to us, and it seems useless for us to try and understand the reasonings and ruminations - of the American mind, for we seem only to get “bushed” in our efforts. We just have to wait for a few more •hundreds of Americans to be murdered by Germany and then we can only look on and wonder what is going to happen.

Early in this year President Wilson delivered a. series of speeches which i harped and harped upon the sacredness of American honour and humanitarianism. Most portentious references were made to the strengthning of the National Guard, and citizens were clearly told that all might be required to come under the flag, making a strong and a model military arm, as he called it. He ominously and significantly said, ‘‘l know we are daily treading amid th e most intricate dangers, and that the dangers we are treading among are not of our making and are not under our control*, and that no man in the United States knows what a single week, or a single’day or a single hour may bring forth. ’ ’ These were indeed solemn words to say, but, although Americans might not know under. such circumstances what a day or an hour would bring forth, ther e would be no such uncertainty about what would happen were Britain similarly involved. Continuing, the President said, “You ar e relying upon me to keep the honour of the nation unstained. If I am to guard the honour of the nation I am not protecting it against itself, for we ar e not going to do anything to stain the honour of our own country; I am protecting it against things I cannot control, the actions of others. x\nd where, the actions of others may bring us I cannot foretell.” He went on to say that the rear man believes that his honour is dearer than his life. But the President of the United States so mixes up his ideas of honour and life that they become quite incomprehensible to us. We naturally wonder how many hundreds of the lives of American citizens Germany may heedlessly and deliberately destroy before American honour becomes stained or involved. Honour is dearer than life, however, and t-hat may account for America being: less sensitive to the murder of her citizens than to the staining of her honour: While Britain might consider the profulgency of her honour dimmed with th c destruction of only one British life, America seemingly .does not realise that its honour is stained unless th e blood of several hundreds on even thousands have been .spilled over it. The reasonings of America are too profound for us to fathom in Note writing with Germany, and we can only look on with curiosity and wonder what will evenhappen. The probabilities are that German submarine murdering will 1 be left to the British Navy to deal with.