The Washington times., 1915-05-14

French ships. The American Gov
ernment might have taken the mar
rover view, that it was not concerned
about the non-combatants of bellig-
erent powers. But it takes the wider
view that the whole business of using
submarines to kill, because killing is
an unavoidable incident to attacking
commerce, is wrong. It places this
country on the side of free seas and
free ships and safe conduct for nom
combatants on the seas.
This is an attitude which concerns
more than the present war. It looks
to the future; to the preservation of
general rights on the seas, now and
in all time; to the maintenance Of
those rules Of humane conduct which
have grown with the enlightened ad-
vance Of the world.
The effect is as il President Will
son had written:
1--WE protest against submarines
being used to destroy merchant ship
ping. 1t violates the freedom Of the
seas, and it is reversion to savae-
cry which America will never in
dulge, and which she cannot counte-
nance, even though its own nationals
are not sacrificed"
This Is not a casual expression in
cident to the affair Of the Lusitania.
1t Is a declaration of American
policy, for this war and for the fu-
ture. 1t announces a continued ad-
hesion to that policy which was rep
resented in our war with France, the
second war with England, the chas-
tisement Of the Barbary pirates. It
is in line with the record, also, which
was made during the civil war, when
the greatest blockade ever organized
was maintained in the face Of the
utmost provocation, with scrupulous
regard always for human life.
In this broad statement of a policy
which the United States expects Ger
many to follow in her marine war
fare hereafter, the President lays
down conditions whose adoption
would deprive Germany of the chief
value of the only effective naval
power she possesses. The German
war fleet is bottled up and useless.
The submarine, attacking unarmed
vessels, has been the only agent Of
German naval force that has oc-
complished any results. The United
States in substance demands that the
submarine shall cease to be used
for the only service 1t can perform.
1t is taking away from Germany, if
she accepts these terms, the last
vestige of power or authority on the
seas.
This is a big demand to make of
country fighting with its back to
the wall, reckless absolutely Of all
the conventions of civilized war,
whether on sea or land. 1t will be
regarded as such by Berlin.
Along with this statement of a
general rule for naval warfare, goes
the expression of our national hor-
ror at the things that have been
done, the demand for reparation SO
far as there can be reparation for
such wrongs, and the concluding OBJ
servation, whose implications will be
quite obvious, that
"The Imperial German govern
ment will not expect the Government
Of the United States to omit any
word or any act necessary to the per-
formance of it's sacred duty Of main
tanning the rights of the United
States and its citizens and of safe
guarding their free exercise and en-
joyment."
For the German government to
pretend to disavow these submarine
war methods would be farcical. For
it to agree that the submarine shall
not be used in future against mer-
chant ships would be to give up it's
one method Of maritime attack. The
Berlin government is placed by the
American note in such a position
that it must act. The next move is
Germany's. 1t must give up the
methods of the savage in war, or
else ponder the eventualities involved
4l-