In the long war that now began between the submarine on the one hand and the naval forces of the Entente Powers on the other Germany and Austria scored their best success at sea. They had found a weapon that their enemies had great difficulty in parrying, and they im proved it greatly during the war while they used it most assiduously. It was a difficult warfare to follow, partly because the encounters were isolated and unrelated to one another, and partly because it was the design of each side to keep secret the methods of attack as well as of defense.
Germany's first submarine decree took effect on 18 Feb. 1915. Before that date she had sunk several merchantmen of the Allies, but now sinking became a regular thing. By 31 March she had destroyed 2& Since the British Isles produced but a small portion of the food and raw materials they used, it was Germany's pur pose to cut off their commerce and force them to make peace or starve. The small proportion the destroyed ships bore to those that came and went showed how inconsiderable was the strain put upon British industry. On neutrals the effect was more serious, since it was for them a matter of principle. Holland, the Scandi navian countries and Spain bore the affront with as good grace as possible; for they were too weak to challenge the actions of the great German empire. But all eyes turned to the United States, the one neutral in the world strong enough to dispute Germany's pre tension to modify international 'law. The action of that power, however, was limited by the conduct of the Entente Allies who had also overstepped law in their blocicade, their wide extension of contraband, and their interruption of American trade with the neutrals in northern Europe. Between the two infractions of in ternational law stood the United States. If they declared war on either nation they would by that act become the supporter of the other. It was a difficult choice; but most Americans felt that if the time came when it must be made the only possible thing would be to oppose the nation that killed American citizens, even women and children, ravaged Belgium, intro duced poison gas in warfare, and stood for the domination of the world by a strong military autocracy. German statesmen took no notice of this feeling. They considered the United States an unwarhke state and a negligible quantity in the war. Meanwhile President Wilson's policy was to avoid war, if possible. Many a time an American President has foluid himself in such a position as to demand that he exert himself to hold back the popular feeling for war until the resources of diplomacy are exhausted, and in fulfilling such a duty he has become unpop ular. In the situation before him Mr. Wilson tried to induce Germany to bring her conduct within the international law rule of cruiser warfare.
The attack on the Lusitania, 7 May 1915, made it hard to restrain public opinion, bat the President's course was firm and diplomatic ally courteous. It took three notes to convince the German vovernment that it must take cog nizance of American public opinion. The first indication of a tendency to yield was late in May, when Berlin gave notice that reparation would be made for the destruction of the Gulf light, an American ship which Germany now admitted was attacked by mistake. Unluckily
for her purpose this disclaimer was followed close by the news that the Nebraskan, another American ship, had been sunk under circum stances equally exasperating, and in respect to this affair Germany was forced to send another apology and offer of reparation. As to the main point of contention, the destruc tion of Americans aboard the merchant ships of belligerents, she showed no disposition to yield, and on 21 July, President Wilson sent his third Lusitania note insisting that the United States would .not yield in any respect the rights of her citizens to travel tmder the pro tection of international law and declaring that the repetition of such acts as occurred m the sinking of the Lusitania would be held as 4deliberately unfriendly.) On 19 August the British liner, Arabic, was sunk by a submarine under conditions similar to those of the tragedy of 7 May. The American press flamed forth, demanding instant action. Before official cog nizance could be talcen Germany requested the President to wait for official investigation, and on 1 September she submitted the information that before the Arabic was destroyed she had instructed her submarine commanders to sink no liners '