The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-05-11
Massacre on the High Seas.


The torpedong OF the Lusitania was
not battle-it was massacre. TO de
, stroy an enemy ship, an unarmed mer'
chant vessel of great value and power
is an act of war; to sink her in such
manner as to send hundreds OF her
passengers, among them many neutrals
to their death, is morally murder and
, no technical military plea will avail to
procure any other verdict at the bar OF
civilized public opinion. Had the Ger
man submarine allowed the Lusitsnia g
captain time enough to get his crew and
passengers into the boats, he would have
been acting within the rules of interna-
tional law. and under the dictates of
that law of humanity which Germany
has so frequently violated in the course
of this contest which has added new ter
rors to law. The Lusitania was I'M
questionablt good prize" to any hostile
craft that could overtake her, but she
was also an unarmed liner with 1000
human beings on board.
/ In all the annals of modern war there
is no other occurrence so closely answer
ing the definition of an atrocity on the
sea. Semmes was not considered scru-
pulous as commerce raider, but when
| he captured the crowded passenger
steamer Ariel he did not sink her. He
paroled all the combatants, marines. he
| found on board the Ariel and bonded her,
taking an obligation payable after the
esta Enlistment of the independence of the
southern Confederacy. Semmes grew up
when the traditions OF all navies taught
| humanity towards non .combatants, and
a chivalrous regard for women and chill
dren.
To find a parallel to the torpedoing of
the Lusitania we must go back to those
dark ages when the garrison and in
habtants OF captured city were in
discriminatory put to the sword. Even
after the sack OF Eouvain the world was
not prepared for the Lusitania tragedy. |
Its cruelty is matched only BY it's i'm.
policy. II has turned the sentiment of
millions heretofore neutral or indiffer- |
ent to an antipathy to Germany, its
government and its cause. In company |
with the Indignation the tragedy inspires |
goes the popular conviction that such |
desperate deed could only be inspired by |
consciousness of desperate circum-
stances. Germany has committed an ir.
repsrable blupder in committing an act /
unsanctioned by even the most drastic
Interpretation of the laws of war.
To Americans to-day the tragedy pre-.
sents grave possibilities in our interna-
tional relations. Regarded from the
standpoint of international law the sink
ing of the Fslaba with the incidental
death of an American citizen Is on ~
parity with the destruction OF the lusi-
tania, even IL more Americans persisted
in the latter tragedy. The principle il
the same, but peoples are oftener aroused
10 the existence of principle when its
is associated with numbers
than when a single victim. or even n
few victims, give il place in public
Inasmuch as the sinking
If the Lustania came after success.
sion OF protests by our government
against the war rome" which included
/ warning that II would hold Germany
10 a "striet accountability" for the loss
" American lives IL is evident that the
United States must make the torpedoinr
" the great Cunarder the text for Wig
,rous reassertion Of il. position
The incident is exceptional not only
n orr experience, but 10 the experience
" the world. II may well demand an
form Of communication. re-
luiring great elaboration in its com
position. President Wilson's reply 20
3ernstorf's lecture on neutrality give.
IL ground for belief that we have in
he White House one equal 10 the fore.
bic assertion n our claim IN behalf Of
Americans az sea eve when they are I
N board beiligerent merchant vessels.
The president il under a grave RESPONSE.
,ility. He Z. entitled 20 time. and n
immunity from popular pressure. At
he present moment American indigns
ion is at the boiling point, and the
apse o. time while IL NAV modify ex-
ressions 10 not likely 70 affect the in.
ensity n the moral reprohation II
Iced % unparalleled savagery. Should
he president withhold his Official utter
noes for the immediate present he can
cunt on American public support ". n
akinR matters into bis own hands he. III
y calling Germany 20 account. reverts
y the diplomatic strain that was "a.
ailisr - the country when y had ~
10 head Of tire state department men
o whom the Law ~ nations was not
losed book and the routine q inter
stioual relations q puzzle. The great
acretaries ~ state wrote and spoke
k dipiomatisfs under responsibility: III
hey wrote and spoke ike Americans
nder conviction 81 the justice Of Amer
as causs and course. Standing IN The
baaow Of this solemn Saturday. The
resideu. must sadly realize that the III
a -. -