As for what America will do if German concessions do
not release her from her own standing pledge to act, it seems to be generally thought that she will break off relations. If this should be the course taken, it would be a. perfectly sound and reasonable policy from the point of view of a country determined not to go to war. America would, in fact, " outlaw " Germany. She would refuse to bare any dealings, diplomatic or commercial, with a country which had grossly violated international and moral law. It is easy to say that this would not be enough, Mad of course that is being freely said in America. But in our judgment such a step would be a real advance by America in the interests of the sanctions of international law. If belligerents in the future knew that great neutral Powers would visit breaches of inter- national law with outlawry, they would not dare to act as Germany has acted. Whether America would be able to out- law Germany without finding herself committed to actual hostilities is a nice point for discussion. But only experience could answer it finally.
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