The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-06-15

ted States and that II in fact she
was a naval vessel of Great Britain
she should not receive clearance as
a merchantmen; and 1t performed
that duty and enforced its statutes
with and enforced its statutes with
scrupulous vigilance through its reg
ularly constituted officials. It is able
therefore, to assure the imperial Ger
man government that 1t has been mis-.
informed. II the imperial German
government should deem itself to be
in possession Of convincing evidence
that the officials of the government of
the United States did not perform
these duties with thoroughness the
government Of the United States sin.
cerely hopes that It will submit that
evidence for consideration.
Whatever may be the contentious
Of the imperial German government
regarding the carriage Of contrabafld
OF war on board the Lustania or re.
garding the explosion Of that mater.
ial by the torpedo, II need only be
said that in the view of this govern
ment hese contentious are irrelevant
to the question Of the legality Of the
methods used by the German naval
authorities in sinking that vessel.
But the sinking of passenger ships
involves principles of humanity that
throw into the background any spe.
cial circumstances of detail that may
be thought to affect the, cases, prin.
ciples which lift 1t, as the imperial
government will no doubt be quick
to recognize and acknowledge, out of
the class Of ord nary subjects of dip.
lomatic controversy. Whatever be
the other facts regarding the Lusi.
tania. the principal fact is that a
great steamer, primarily and chiefly
conveyance for passengers and car.
ry.ng more than a thousand souls who
had no part or lot in the conduct of
the war, was torpedoed and sunk
without so much as q challenge or a
warning, and that men, women and
children were sent to their death in
circumstances unparalleled in modern
warfare. The fact that more than one
hundred American citizens were
among those who persisted, made It
the duty Of the government of the
United States to speak of these things
and once more, with solemn empha.
sis, to call the attention of the i'm.
perial German government to the
grave responsibility which the govern.
ment Of the United States conceives
that 1t has incurred in this trag.c
occurrence, and to the indisputable
principle upon which that responsible.
ity rests.
Takes Firm Stand
The government of the United
States is contending for something
much greater than mere rights of
property or privileges of commerce.
1t is contending for nothing less high
J and sacred than the rights of human.
ity, which every government honors
itself in respecting and which no gov.
eminent is justified in resigning on
behalf of those under its care and au.
thorlty. Only her actual resistance
to capture or refusal to stop when
ordered to do so for the purpose of
visit could have afforded the just,fi.
cation for so much as putting the lives
of those on board the ship in jeop
ardy. This principle the govern,
ment OF the United States under
stands the explicit instructions issued
on August 3, 1914, by the imperial
German admiralty to its commanders
at sea to have recognized and EN-.
bodied, as do the naval codes of all
other nations, and upon It every trav.
eler and seaman had a right to de.
pend, 1t is upon this principle of
humanity, as we'll as upon the law
founded upon this principle that the
United States must stand.
Tenders Good Offices
The government of the United
States is happy to observe that your
eX,ellency's note closes with the in.
t.mation that the imperial German
government is willing, now as before,
to accept the good offices of the Uni
ted States in an attempt to come to
an understanding with the govern.
ment of Great Britain by which the
character and conditions of the war
upon the sea may be changed. The
government OF the United States
would consider it a privilege thus to
serve its friends and the world. 1t
stands ready at any time to convey
to either government any intlmation
or suggestion the other may be
willing to have It convey and cordial.
ly invites the imperial German gov.
-.