For a submarine to sink a war vessel with all on board is merely war,
no more and no less. No one whines about atrocities of that sort. All
the world does object, however, and very strongly, too, to the sinking
of unarmed passenger steamers, hospital ships, and Belgian relief
ships. All such acts of murder as these are the acts of monsters, not
of men. Of course we know that Germany sees her doom, and her people
are wild over the certainty of defeat. But even a 90 per cent. defeated
prize-fighter must not deliver a foul blow.
The submarine murders are so well known to Americans as to require
no comment; but a few murder statistics will be worth while, lest we
forget.
March 28, 1915. Steamer _Falaba_ 111 lost
May 7, " " _Lusitania_ 1,198 "
June 28, " " _Armenian_ 30 "
Aug. 19, " " _Arabic_ 30 "
Nov. 7, " " _Ancona_ 208 "
Dec. 30, " " _Persia_ 385 "
March 24, 1916. " _Sussex_ (Channel boat) 52 "