The first German note concerning the terrible crime committed on the "Lusitania" not only fails to give a reason that would justify this mass murder of peaceful citizens, but it even avoids the principal question as far as we Americans are concerned. The United States has nothing to say in the matter of sinking British vessels. But the United States has something to say when American citizens have been murdered without being given a chance to save their lives. And from a purely human point of view we must protest against the vile methods of war that take the lives of nonbelligerents of any nation, whether that nation is neutral or engaged in the war.

If Germany were in a position to prove that the "Lusitania" was armed, it could defend its stab-in-the-back attack by claiming that the "Lusitania" was 2a British warship. But there is overwhelming evidence that it was not armed. In fact, Germany does not even dare to put forward that claim. The official report on the sinking of the "Lusitania" says that the vessel, naturally, was armed with guns as has been the case with the majority of British merchantmen in recent times. But against this there is the statement by Dudley Field Malone, customs inspector of New York, a man of sterling character, who says: "The 'Lusitania' was searched in the usual way and no guns were found on her; any claim that the "Lusitania" was armed is false. She did not carry anything but the material listed in the manifest." It is natural that a statement of a customs inspector is more trustworthy and will carry greater weight than the claim put forward by the German government.

Any attempt to justify the sinking by maintaining that the "Lusitania" carried war contraband is absurd. In the German view all foodstuffs are considered contraband, and there is no ship on the high seas that does not carry this type of "contraband," even if only for the crew. The excuse that ammunition was carried in the "Lusitania's" space for cargo is irrelevant. The American 3steamship "Gulflight" had no ammunition but nevertheless it was torpedoed by a German submarine, three Americans loosing their lives. The American steamship "Cushing" did not carry ammunition; it was sailing into a neutral port and was a target of the bombs of a German flyer. The British steamer "Falaba" did not carry ammunition, but it was torpedoed and sank with an American citizen, Leon Thrasher, aboard. A number of Swedish, Norwegian, and Dutch ships were destroyed by German submarines, and no claims were put forward that they carried ammunition.

The argument that Great Britain is trying to starve the German nation, and that Germany is therefore justified in retaliating without regard to the method of retaliation, no matter how barbarous and illegal it may be, and no matter whom it hits, friend or enemy, is absolutely untenable. That is not even an argument, but simply the usual German claim of a "necessary war measure" which has served as an excuse for all their atrocities committed in this war. The terrible crimes perpetrated by these modern Huns on the population of 4Belgium--as we read in yesterday's reports--were also defended as necessary war measures; they were even described as acts of mercy because by them the people were warned against deeds which would be severely punished. It is difficult to imagine a more cruel sophistry. If claims of war necessities or necessary war measures would be considered valid, then all conventions, all international laws, and all treaties can be sunk into the depths of the seas together with the "Lusitania" and her unfortunate passengers.

The United States cannot accept the German excuses, and it has not accepted them. Already there is a note on its way to Berlin which will leave no doubts in the minds of the arrogant Teutons as to the attitude of the people of this country toward their dastardly crimes. Thus the United States performs her duty. She not only protects her citizens against unjustified attacks, but she goes a step further; she is trying to preserve the last bit of civilization left by this war. We must insist on the observance of the rights of neutral countries and of peaceful citizens against ruthless murdering. The United 5States tells Germany in plain language that the open seas must remain safe for neutral ships, and that such seas must not hide concealed dangers for nonbelligerents who sail without any warlike aims or purposes.

Americans must remain free to go anywhere in this world without having to fear for their own lives. Americans must most definitely refuse the shameless counsel of local Germans to "stay at home," as put by their mouthpiece, Herman Ridder, editor of the New York Staats-Zeitung. Why not just tell them to disappear from the surface of the earth until Mother Germania is finished with doing her bloody work as "Kulturtraeger" (bearer of culture), so that nobody would be in her way. Germany will soon learn that the United States does not take that catastrophe as a warning against letting her citizens travel on British boats, or exporting arms and other goods to Great Britain. If these tactics were temporarily successful in Belgium, they will fail here completely; in fact, they will produce just the opposite result from what the Prussian arrogance expects. It is not necessary for the United States to show displeasure by sword-rattling or 6plunging into the war. There are other ways to confine German madness within the proper bounds. The fact is that the outburst of public anger over the sinking of the "Lusitania," both in the United States and other neutral countries, has already resulted in a cooling-off of the "furor Teutonicus" (Teutonic furor). The German Embassy has canceled its advertisements in some fifty of the largest American newspapers warning the people against sailing to Europe. Although the German Embassy explains that the ads have been canceled because their purpose had already been accomplished, it seems more likely that the warning will not be any more necessary because of a change of German sea war methods. Germany, it would appear, is soon to learn that her trees do not grow into heaven.