The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-05-20

Lusitania, on May 7, 1915, by which
over 100 American citizens lost their
lives, it is clearly wise and desirable
that the Government of the United
States, and the Imperial German Gov
ernment should come to clear and
| full understanding as to the grave sit
uation which has resulted. The sink
ing of the British passenger steamer
Falaba by a German submarine on
March 2S, through which Leon c.
Thrasher, an American citizen, was
| drowned; the attack on April % on
| the American vessel Gushing by a
| German aeroplane; the torpedoing on
| May l of the American vessel Gulf
light by a German submarine as a re-
| suit of which two or more American
citizens met their death; and, finally,
the torpedoing and sinking of the
| steamship Lusitania constitute a Sc
ries of events which the Government
of the United States has observed with
growing concern, distress and amaze
ment
; Recalls "Humane and Enlightened
Attitude"
! Recalling the humane and enlight-
| ened attitude hitherto assumed by the
| Imperial German Government in mat
| tiers of international and particularly
NIL 10 l,n nj
seas; having learned the German
views and the German influence in the
field of international obligation as al
ways engaged upon the side of justice
and humanity; and having understood
| the instructions of the Imperial Ger
man Government to its naval com.
manders to be upon the same plane
of humane action prescribed by the
naval codes of other nations, the Gov
ernment of the United States was
loath to believe-it can not now bring
itself to believe-that these acts, so
absolutely contrary to the rules, the
practices and the spirit of modern
warfare, could have the countenance
or sanction of that great government.
Duty Is Felt to Address With utmost
Frankness."
1t feels it to be it's duty, therefore,
to address the Imperial Government
concerning them with the utmost
frankness and in the earnest hope that
it is not mistaken in expecting action
on the part of the Imperial German
| Government which will correct the un-
fortunate impressions which have been
created, and vindicate once more the
position of that government with re.
gard to the sacred freedom of the seas.
The Government of the United States
has been apprised that the Imperial
! German Government considered them
selves to be obligated by the extraor-
binary circumstances of the present
war. and the measures adopted by
their adVersaries in seeking to cut
Germany off from all commerce, to
adopt methods of retaliation which go
much beyond the ordinary methods OF
warfare at sea in the proclamation of
a war zone from which they have
warned neutral ships to keep away.
RIGHTS of American Citizens Are
Pointed Out.
This Government has already taken
occasion to inform the Imperial Ger
| man Government that it can not ad
nit the adoption Of such measures OF
| such a warning of danger to operate
as in any degree an abbreviation Of
the rights of American ship masters
| or of American citizens bound on law
full errands as passengers on merchan
ships of belligerent nationality; ant
that it must hold the Imperial German
Government to a strict accountability
for any infringement of those rights
J Intentional or incidental. 1t does no
, understand the Imperial German Gov
c ernment to question those rights. |
!. as imperative. 1t practically is i'm
n perial German Government accept, a.
6 of course, the rule that the lives o
a non-ccmbatants, whether they be o
Il neutral citizenship or citizens of on
= of the nations at war, can not lawful,
r. or rightfully be put in jeopardy by tn
capture or destruction of an unarmet
= merchantmen, and recognize also, a
n all other nations do, the obligation t.
take the usual precaution of visit an,
search to ascertain whether a suspect
ed merchantmen is, in fact, of be
ligerent nationality, or is, in fact, cal
=. rying contraband of war under net
- trail flag.
o One Objection Lies in Disregard 0
h Fairness.
IS The Government of the Unite
n States, therefore, desires to call tn
s, attention of the Imperial German Coy
e ernment with the utmost earnestnes
p to the fact that the objection to thei