The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-05-11
NO TIME TO ROCK BOAT
IS WASHINGTON VIEW
President Wilson Studied In Quiet Seclusior
Aspect of Law and Facts In Sink
f ing of Lusitania.

GLIDING neutral men, women and chill
cren. The position of the United
states has been that the presence of
contraband-even arms and ammuni-
to the rules of inter
national law, including the Declare
ton of London, which Germany has
upneld, cannot warrant the sinking of
a merchantmen without the previous
exercise Of the right of visit and
search and the removal of non-com-
batants to a place of safety. The gov
eminent stated this in its last note to
Germany, and at the same time issued
a warning that the German Imperial
government would be held ito a strict
accountability by the United States
for any loss Of American vessels or
lives.
Decision MOmentOus One.
The decision which the President
and his advisors must reach, it was
admitted in all quarters, is a momen-
tous one. Those officials conversant
with the legal aspects of the case
pointed out that the United States
faced a grave and serious problem
Of lasting importance in history, as
all the world-neutrals and belliger-
ents alike-would wait with acute ex-
pectancy for h course which the
United States would pursue to pre-
serve the rules of international law,
particularly the rights of neutrals
with respect to the safety Of nOn-com-
batants IN. merchant ships at sea.
The suggestion that the warnings
by the German Embassy in newspaper
advertisements should have been suf-
ficient to deter Americans from trav-
cling aboard ships flying the British
flag was widely commented upon
among diplomatists. At the State De
partment Secretary Bryan revealed
that the Embassy's warning had new
er been officially communicated to the
State Department, and hat since the
announcement by the German admir-
atty in February of its proclamation
Of a war zone, the American protes1
and h reply from Germany sayins
the government would disclaim re.
sDonsibility for accidents to neutrals
the subject for several weeks had no
been officially mentioned between tn
Berlin and Washington governments
Among a few diplomatists Their,
was a disposition to criticise Ameri
cans for minimizing these warnings.
Discouraged Travel Abroad.
y With respect to the reports that tn,
Q State Department had discourage,
the travel of Americans to Europe
Secretary Bryan said:
W. have discouraged ever sine
e the beginning Of the war the goin
t abroad of any n~aturalized American
: and have declined to give passport
to Americans who wanted to E
abroad for pleasure, but have give
them to those going on business"
The appalling nature Of the dis
V aSter, bringing home to those VIII
had friends on board the Lusitani
h human side of the occurrenc,
n was apparent in the demeanor of hig
n officials. They were grieved, sick {
heart.
IS The consular and diplomatic ma
chinery Of the government in til
d meantime sought information frol
le every available source concernin
'r survivors and lent aid to the injure
or destitute.
In diplomatic quarters in Washin;
=, ton the incident continued the grea
"A esq sensation of the war.
s. German Justify Act.
-; Count Bernstorff, the German An
bassador, was still away and no con
~ ment was mad at the German En-
i bassy, but among Gernlan officia
"A and d~iplomatists friendly to the &c
manic allies, there was retraced II
; argument which Germany has insis
ut ed upon as her justification for su
70 marine warfare on merchant ship
x 1t was reiterated that Great Brita
n by preventing foodstuffs from reac
ne ing the civilians population of &c
many threatened her non-combatar
to with In the face of su,
he act, they declared, Germany pla
Ill Whatever reprisals were possible, ho'
ever, severe. The presence on t
ly Lusitania Of ~. 900 cases of cartride
v was pointed to as q potent argume
for the vessels destruction.
&c The impression prevailed TONG
that the sinking of the Americ
a. steamer Gulhight, the attack on t
nc british steamer Falaba- which resu
~ ed in the drowning of Leon c.. Thras
CT, an American citizen, and the
"a tack by German airmen on the Anne
20 can steamer Gushing would be grou
~ ed together III general re~presentatio
rd from the United States to German
cd President Wilson began a careful
! v~estigation OF the legal aspects of
Falaba Case. SO that the torpedOi
aw of the Lusitania required little