From ‘Germany and the United States’, The Spectator, 15 May 1915:
The questions that concern us now to the exclusion of all others are: What will the German answer be to Mr. Wilson? and To what action by the United States will Mr. Wilson’s Note lead? We take it for granted that Germany will not consent to abandon her submarine campaign against “unarmed merchant vessels carrying non-combatants,” for that would mean an entire reversal of her criminal policy at sea. She attaches enormous importance to that policy, and hopes by means of it ultimately to neutralize the existence of our Fleet. Besides, she has dipped her hands too deep in illegality to draw them out now. She can hope to succeed only by further and worse crimes. Opposed to that fact we have the other fact that Mr. Wilson undoubtedly means to keep out of the war if he possibly can. Let us say here emphatically that the British people have not the slightest wish that the United States should enter the war. We hope, on the contrary, that Mr. Wilson will be able to stand apart. There are various reasons why the neutrality of the United States in the war is as helpful to us as her participation would be.
Our discussion of the problem, then, brings us to the following questions: What steps can Mr. Wilson take to call Germany to order and to protect his own people without actually making war? And if Mr. Wilson does any of these things will Germany allow him to remain at peace?
Comments