Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-07-17

HONOLULU STA
al Law and disregarding all the rights
OF neutrals. IT,. h.
On November 3. 1914, England de
clared the NoFt,i sea a war dsea and
by planting poorly anchored mines
and by the stoppage and capture OF
vessels made passage extremely dan,
gerous and. difficult for neutral ship
ping, SO tby?D that actually biockad.
ing neutral coasts and ports contrary
TO all International law Long before
the beginning OF submarine war Eng
land nfactieally completely inter-
cepted legitimate neutral navigation
to Germany also. Thus Germany was
driven to submarine war on trade.
On November Il, 1914. the English
premier declared in the house of com
mons that IL was one OF EnglanC's
principal tasks to prevent food for the
German populat ion from reaching Ger
many via neutral ports. Since Marcn
England has been taking from neu-
trail ships without further formality all
merchandise proceeding TO Germany.
as well as all merchandise coming
from Germany, even when neutral
property. Just as il was also with
the Beers, the German people is now
tC be given the choice of perishing
from starvation with its women and
children or OF rclinquishing its. indie
pendence.
Diver War Densnded. ~. H.
While eur enemies thus loudly and
openly proclaimed war without mercy
until our utter destruction, we were
our national existence and for the
sake Of peace of an assured perma.
nency. We have been obliged to adopt
a submarine warfare to meet the de-.
clared intentions of cur enemies and
the method of warfare adopted by
them in contrayention of international
law. With all its efforts in principle
to protect neutral life and property
from damage as much as possible, the
German government recognized unre-
servedly in its memorandum of Febru-
airy that the interests of neutrals
might suffer from the submarine war
fare. However, the American gov
eminent will also understand and APP
preciate that in the fight for existence
which has been forced upon Germany
by its adversaries and announced by
them 1t is the sacred duty of the i'm,
perial government to do all in it's
power to protect and save the lives of
German subjects. II the imperial gov
erRnent We're derelict in these, its
duties, it would be guilty before God
principles Of highest humanity which
are the foundation Of every national
existence. ..E
Lives Jeopardized.
The case Of the Lusitania shows
with horrible clearness to what jeop-
ardizing of human lives the manner
of conducting war employed by our
adyersaries leads. In the most di-
rect contradiction of international
law, all distinction between merchant
men and war vessels has been oblit-
Grated by the order to British mer-
chantmen to arm themselves and to
ram submarines and the promise of
rewards therefor, and neutrals who
use merchantmen as travellers, there
by, have been exposed by an increas,
ing degree to all the dangers of war.
II the commander of the German
submarine which destroyed the Lusi-
tania had caused the crew and pas
sengers to take to the boats before
firing torpedo this would have
meant the sure destruction of his
own vessel After the experiences in
sinking much smaller and less sea.
worthy vessels, it was to be expected
that mighty ship like the Lusitania
would remain above water long
enough, even after the torpedoing. to
permit passengers to enter the ships
boats. Circumstances Of very pc
culiar kind. especially the presence on
board of large quantities of highly ex-
plosive materials (word omitted, pos
sible rdissipated''1 this expectation.
I'm addition it may be pointed out
that if the Lusitania had been spared
thousands of cases of munitions would
have been sent to Germany's enemies
and thereby thousands of German
mothers and children robbed of bread
winners.
In the spirit of friendship where
with the German nation has been i'm
bued towards the Union and its in
habitants since the earliest days OF
its existence, the Imperial government
will always be ready to do all it can |
during the present war also to pre-
vent the jeopardizing of lives of Amer.
lean citizens. The imperial govern
ment, therefore, repeats the assur-
ances that American ships viii not be |