The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-02-20

prize court Is Justified The German
government has IN public announce
ments claimed To treat practically
every town or port on the English
/ east coast as fortinod place and
tasc OF operations. ON the strength
q this contention they have subject.
. "a TO bombardment the open towns
OF Yarmouth. SCARBOROUGH and Whit.
r by among others. on the same ground
n number OF neutral vessels sailing
Tor English ports on the east coast.
vain cargocs Of goods on the German
list OF conditional Contraband. have
been seized by German cruisers and
brought before German prize court
Again the Dutch vessel Marie.
D haNlng sailed from California with
a cargo OF grain sOnsigned TO, Dublin
and Belfast. was sunk IN September
last by the German cruiser Karlsruho
/ This could only have been Justified
/ n. among other things. the cargo
could have been proved TO be destined
Tor the British government or armsN
/ forces, and II presumption 70 thu
] eject had been established owing 10
dublin or Belfast being considered
fortified places or bases for armed
forces.
The German government canno,
have u both ways. n they consider
themselves justified in destroying by
bonn bardment the lives and property
or the peaceful civil Inhabitants OF
English open towns and watering
ships and cargOes of conditional con
! traband on their way thither on the
I ground that they are consigned 10 a
/ fortified place or base. his majesty's
[ treat Hamburg. which il in part PRO
tected by fortihcations at the mouth
OF the Elbe. as a fortified town ana
base Of operations and supply for
the purpose OF article "a OF the dee
laration OF London.
III the owners OF the cargo Of he
! Wilhelmina desire to question the
validity in International law of tho
action taken by order OF His Ma
Jesty's government they will have
every opportunity of establishing
their case in dus course before the
prize court. and his majesty's govern
ment would in this connection recall
the attention OF the United States
government to the consideration put
forward IN Sir Edward Grey's note to
Mr.. Page OF the 10th instant, as 20 the
propriety OF awaiting the result OF
prize court proceedings before dipIo.
remembered that they have from the
outset given definite assurance thai
the owners OF the Wilhelmiaa as well
las the owners OF the cargo II found
TO be contraband, would be equitably
Unidentified
There is one further observation 10
which His Majesty's government
mink Il right and appropriate IN thu
present connection To give expression
Ihey have not so far declared food.
Sums 10 be absolute Contraband: they
nave not interfered with any neutral
vessels on account of their carrying
roodstuffs. except on basis of sucn
toodstuffs being liable TO capture II
destined for enemy forces or govern.
ments. In 80 acting they have been
guided by the general principle of late
universally upheld by civilized ma.
tons and observed In practice, that
IN ecivil populations of countries AT
war are not TO be exposed TO treat
ment rightly reserved for combatants
This distinction has TO all intents and
purposes been swept away by the
novel doctrines proclaimed and acted
upon by the German government.
II Treatment OF Belgium.
1T Is unnecessary here to dwell
upon the treatment that has been
meted out 10 the civil population OF
| Belgium and TO those parts of France
which are in German occupation.
l When Germany long before any
mines had been laid by the British
! authorities. proceeded to SOW mines
upon the high seas and by this means
sunk considerable number not only
Of British, but also neutral merchant
men with their unoffending crews. ID
was, so his majesty's government
hold. open 10 them TO take retaliatory
me asures even II such measures were
OF kind to involve pressure on the
Civil population, not. indeed. of nsu.
tral states. but of their enemies. The
j British government refrained from
doing so. When subsequently, Eng.
iish towns and gdefenseless British
subjects, including women and chill.
dren, were deliberately and system
atically fired upon and killed bv
ships flying the flag Of the imperial
German navy; when quiet country
towns and villages, void OF defense
ana Possessing no military or naval
importance. were bombarded BY Ger
man airshlps, his majesty's govern
mont still abstained from drawing the
logical consequences from this form
Of attack on defenseless citizens.
Further steps in the same direc.
ton are now announced and in fac
have already been taken By German
British merchant vessels have been
torpedoed az sight without anv A.
tempt being made 20 give warning ~
the crew OF any opportunity being Civ.
On 20 save their lives. A torpedo has
been fired against a British hogpitaI
ship in daylight and similar treat
Z ment e. threatened % an British mer
/ chant vessels In the future az well a.
I 20 any neutral ship that NAV happau
10 be- found In the nelghbOrhood OF the
British Isles
Cannot De Bound
q Faced with this situation "a.
. MaJesty's government consider Do
] would bo altogether unreasonable thai
f6reat Britain and her allies should d.
expected Co remain indefinitely bound
4 20 their grave defrimcnf. hy rules ami
principles Of which they recognize the
Justice OF impariIally observed a. b..
tween belligerents buf which ara sf
the present moment openly set Al do
h1nce By their enemy
III therefore Ills Maiesty's govern
mont HIumfH H.u.-fU.-