Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-05-14

Inc rule OF mercy to the crew and passengers of taptur
ed merchant ships OF the enemy rests upon the universal
pflhclpl1e mat the operations of war are carried on agains
armed torces, not against the e1emy's peaceable citizens o.
SUBJECTS, certainly never against neutrals. 1t rests upon thu
principle or the instructions for the government of the arm
les OF the United States in the field during the civil war.
cade prepared by DR.. Lieber and revised by the hand OF
Abraham Lincoln, in which it was declared that menin arm,
remain moral beings responsible to one another and r.
dod;; Germany snapped her fingers at the laws of war ani
at the law of mora ity when she did this deed of blood. She
put herself outside the domain of law, ard it is a frequent
comment upon her behavior that by that act she confessed
leI'eIi 70 De an outlaw nation. We know now how she
makes war, how she intends to make war-that discussion is
ended HAD We known on Aug. | what is now made so pain
s.uIy clear TO US we should beyond all doubt have taken a diff
ferent course. We passed over in silence the lawless vic.
Ience and carnage visited upon Belgium by the German in.
yader, although many prominent Americans insisted that we
should then nave registered our firm protest against cruel
~5polaton IN violation of neutral rights under treaty signed
oy Ihe spoller. We s~houldhave protested, doubtless, against
JPe pfoml5cuous sowing Of mines in the North Sea bv Ger
many, we should have shown less forbearance in the cases of
the frye and the Gushing, the Falaba and the Gulaight.
Now that we are warned that Germany has resolved to
MAKE war m disregard of the laws of God and man, like a
Malay running amuck. we know what to do. The time for
protests has passed. 1t becomes now our duty as a nation
TO demand that Germany shall find means to carry m her
war without putting our citizens to death, II 10 . dorand
IN winch other neutral nations will have the right to ioin' for
ABOARD the Lusltania there were Danes, Swedes. Greeks
Italians, and other neutras. 1t may be said that in this do.
mand we should call upon Germany to surrender her WONT r.
ngnJ her enemy IL her own way. 1t is precisely that. Her
own way Is tnat uger5h ferocity of which neither her neu-
trals nor her enemies have believed her capable. Bevond
the pale OF law she has no right, and she Went far outside ali
law When she prearranged and executed the destruction If
the LuSltanla. 1t may be said that the presentation of ercb
a demand might involve us in war with Germanv We an
not OF that opinion. There are measures short Of war ubicb
may oe taKen 10 assert the rights and manifest the just re-
sentiment OF a nation. And they are measures which te
men OF power in Germany would not lightly disregard unless
they are lost in madness.
But if the dispatch without warning of tornadoas oooi,,t
the great LusItanla with 1000 human beings on board is TO
be accepted as a true manifestation of the German sn;rit ;f
germany proclalms 1t, If she has deliberately determined
that all the world shall know that this is the wav II in ubic6
she proposes to make war, that this is her attitude toward
law, this IS the measure of her humanity. then ali ne,troI
nations are on notice that the complete defeat of Germany
dhq eeaalcaVoh OF the military spirit of Germany are essen
,ial 10 thelr peace and safety, and they will feel that tbav
nave ten-told greater reason for desiring. and in the eytramgo
emergency for helping to bring about, that saving cono,nn
nation. O"N'u"
A Crowning Horror.
licESbm9 HeiaId Lieut.. Comman Ter Hansen. of the
famous German submarine U-16, said in an interview . . 10
ported by correspondent of the World-printed little move
La q month ago-that when he saw the French passenger
VILE de Lille coming out of Cherbourg harbor II saw
TWO women ana children on the deck. Of course we couldn't
~otpedo d snip win women and children aboard. so we gave
chase The words OF Lieut.. Hansen are such as would he
expected from any ship commander of any nation in the
world, They are quoted as a contrast with tbe dalhar oe
.~orpedoing of the liner Lusitania. reckless Of tbe fata &c ~ =
OF women and children passengers, and in ilustra-
ION OF Germany S quick retrogression to a worse than black
lag savagery. '""' O''
A feature of the submarine exploit of greatest sionifc-
IS It's audacity. In its circumstances as stated it has
ne appearance OF a deliberate dare, to America. That this
nay pc clearly understood, the following is quoted from tbe
reply, following a citation of treaty law rom
tn: 0 u Feoruary
II the commanders of German vessels of war
S4oulu act upon the presumption that the flag of the
United otates was not being used in good faith and
should destroy on the high seas an American vessel
or 'he hVes OF American citizens, it would be dlficuIt I
Tor the government of the United States to view the
act III oIhe. light than an ndefensible violation of
neutral rights which 1t would be very hard indeed TO
reconcile with the friendly relations now so hanniIv
eAlsIng between the two governments.
IL Such a deplorable situation should arise tho
imperial German government can readily appreciate
mat the government of the United States wonld he
constrained to hold the Imperial German cavern
ment TO q strict accountability of such acts Of their
naval authorities, and take any steps it might no
necessary to take to safeguard American lives and
property and to secure to American citizens the fnlI
seas. "' msh
IN utter and defiant disregard Of the Presidents nro+os4
nj m brutal pursuance of the proclamation. the Tps;tani,,
been waylaid, and with hundreds of American lives "d de
roySi' Whle 1t was not supposed that German nolicy
QUO De abdlcated by protest. no one believed. no one could
i ~ tnat me war zone proclamation would be fulfilled
lth such awful taking of human life. Hence anonvmnns
arIIAgS against taxing passage on the doomed shin we've
looked on seriously. The necessary steps to Safeguard
merlcan lives were never taken.
NOW that the blow has fallen President Wilson ia soparo
CONFRONTED by MS If He must show what he meant
saying Germany would be held TO a strict accountabil;tv