und for offense, although it may
be strictly legal," applied with double force to the presence of
German submarines because of their greater danger.

Tart comments on the incident came from Great Britain, though its
Government did not appear to have protested to the United States
against the view that the _U-53's_ proceedings were lawful and
regular.

Lord Robert Cecil, an official spokesman, saw a ruse in the
submarine's visit:

"German public opinion appears to be obsessed with the idea that the
way to deal with the Allied blockade is to have a succession of sudden
crises with neutrals, which may be used for striking diplomatic
bargains. These bargains, in the mind of Germany, always take one
form--that Germany is to refrain from violating international law and
humanity in return for the abandonment by Great Britain as toward
neutrals of the legitimate military and naval measures of the Allies."

In the House of Lords the United States was accused of a breach of
neutrality by Lords Beresford and Sydenham. Referring to "the
activities of the _U-53_ under the very eyes of the American navy"
and to President Wilson's ultimatum which resulted in the German
pledge, Lord Sydenham said:

"Even before the exploits of the _U-53_ that pledge was torn to
shreds. Yet the Government of the United States has made no sign
whatever that the sinking of neutral ships goes on almost every day.
What must small neutrals think of their powerful representative?"

No life, he said, was lost because of the presence of American
warships. Lord Sydenham took the position that the presence of
American warships actually enabled Germany to defy what President
Wilson had described as a sacred and indisputable rule of
international law.

Lord Beresford expressed a similar view:

"The United States are really aiding and abetting this rather serious
state of affairs. If the United States had not sent their ships, which
for some extraordinary reason happened to be on the spot, to save
life, the Germans would no doubt have broken the pledge to which their
attention had been called. I think we are bound to take notice of a
fact which does not appear to be quite within the bounds of neutrality
as far as the United States are concerned."

Lord Grey, Foreign Secretary, declined to commit the Government to
such an attitude. He held that the American-German undertaking was no
affair of Great Britain's.

It was left for the spectator to be truly p