Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-06-22
SOME FAIR QUESTIONS.

ter and Leader believe Germany has
directly assaulted Americans or
American shipping?
How many believe that Germany's
assault on Americans and American
shipping have been incidental to an
assault on British commerce for the
purpose of weakening Englands
belligerency?
Would this country be justified in
going to war or in taking steps look
ing to war for anything less than a
direct and intentional affront?
These are questions we may as
we'll be bordering pending the re-
ceipt of another note from Berlin,
which without any question will be
conciliatory in terms but which will
not concede anything in the matter
of submarine warfare.-Register and
Leader.
There has never been any serious
charges made that Germany directly
assaulted Americans or that assaults
from which Americans suffered were
made for other purposes that to
cripple the enemies of Germany. But
this fact does not excuse Germany
for disregarding international law
and the rights of humanity in it's
submarine warfare. Lusitania neu-
trails and non-combatants, no mat
ter of what nationality, were enti-
tied to an opportunity for their
lives. This was not granted. The
Lusitania was unarmed and unre-
sisting. 1t is not seriously contend
ed that this country would be justi-
fed in going to war because of any
thing that has thus far happened,
but the government has a right to
ask all the belligerents to respect
neutral rights and international law
and to ask assurances that such a
course will be pursued hereafter. If
that leads to war the responsibility
doesn't rest upon this country.
SHRAPNEL.
The European war has called the
attention of persons not hitherto in
terested in military subjects to
many things not generally under
stood and not very definitely ex-
planned in the dictionaries and ency-
clopedas. Among these is "shrap-
mel" and, because of it's universal
use in the battlefields and it's fire.
quent mention in the dispatches, the
following description from the Wall
Street Journal is Instructive:
'"The complete shrapnel is COM
posed of three principal parts: (a)
The time fuse; (b) the projectile
proper, hollow steel shell filled
with bullets and a bursting charge
of black powder; (c) brass cart
ridge case filled with smokeless pow
der to shoot the projectile from the
gun. This brass cartridge case is
similar to the shell of an ordinary
rifle or revolver cartridge.
'The time fuse is very compli-
Gated mechanical device which may
be set to burst the steel projectile
any number of seconds or feet after
it has left the muzzle of the gun. 1t
is as delicately constructed as
watch or safe lock and is made
largely of brass and alloys of alum
mum.
"The time fuse is screwed into
the point of the steel projectile, the
projectile is filled with small bull
let's, usually about $50 in number,
and it is exploded by means of a
charge of black powder seated at the
opposite end from the time fuse
When it explodes the bullets are
hurled over a range of about $50
square yards. The bullets are SO
per cent lead and II per cent anti
mony.
"The cartridge-case is from foot
to almost two feet long and is made
of sheet brass and filled with smoke
less powder. 1t is set off by a per-
cussion cap and will hurl the pro-
jectile up to 5000 yards, making
that distance in a trifle less than 20
seconds"
A MAN OF WORDS.
The New Republic: If Mr.. Bryan