Evening star., 1915-05-12
ROOSEVELT SCORED
BY BARON MUMM
Declares CoIoneps ''PiraCy"
Interview Insults Whole
German People.
JUSTIFIES THE LUSITAMIA
SINKING AS WAR NECESSITY
Lauds Submarine Officers Who, Fear
less of Death. Discharged Duty
to Fatherland.

BERLIN. via London NAV II. 4:5I
am-The attention of Baron Mumm
Won Schwarzenstein. who after long
years of diplomatic service. is now oc-
cupying a high position in the German
foreign office, has been directed to the
sharp criticisms of Germany in the
American press in connection with the
sinking of the Lustania. the words at
tributed to exPresident Roosevelt
that the sinking of the Lusitania was
the greatest act of piracy in history
being especially empha sized The baron
authorized the following statement:
IF Mr.. Roosevelt used these words
then he hurled an insult at the whole
German people which we bitterly re-
sent, even at a time when we have to
submit to the hatred and falsity of
enemies and former friends. He insult
ed, without excuse, men who, fearless
of death. discharged their duty to the
fatherland in the hour of need, without
hope of booty.
England Acts First.
ut was only after England declared
the whole North sea a war zone with
out maintaining an effective blockade
that Germany with precisely the same
right declared the waters around Eng
land a war zone. and announced her
purpose of sinking all hostile COM
mercial vessels found therein, whereby
1t would not always be possible to
avoid endangerng the crews and pas
sengers'
In the case of the Lusitania the Ger
man ambassador even further warned
Americans through the great American
newspapers against taking passage
thereon. Does a pirate act thus Does
he take pains to save human lives?
Does he publish warnings at the risk
OF frustrating his own plans?
Calls It Justifable.
Nobody regrets more sincerely than
we Germans the hard necessity of
sending to their deaths hundreds of
men. Yet the sinking was justifable
act of war. just like the bonn riding
of fortress or even an unfortified city
within the theater of war and DESTROY
ing them with all the terrible instru-
ments of modern warfare without re-
therein
The newness of an instrument NJ
warfare is no argument against using
II Aerial warfare has found recoe-
milton In international agreements and
submarine will be similarly recognized
Can anybody believe future interna-
t1onai arrangements will abolish this
mode of warfare? England would her
self. be the last to shrink from using
utmost
recklessness, but now has too few al
though America is trying diligently in
surreptitious ways to supply this de-
Aciency.
War Scene Not Golf Links.
THAT peaceful citizens Of ne,tr.,
countries went to the bottom with the
0usitania distresses us, too, but they
were warned. Whoever goes into
dAnReY
The scene Of war is no golf links. the
ships of belligerent powers no pleas
ure places. That the people of Eng
land long have been expecting the
sinking Of the Lusitania which TODAY
- judged so harshly is proved by the
Lusitania's untustifiable flying of the
age Why did Americans believe the
boastful assurances of England rather
than our well meant warninese
The sinking of the Lusitania was for
rs a military necessity not only be-
cause she was equipped for fighting.
put especially we had to protect our
brave soldiers from death and destruc-
tion by American munitions of war
We have sympathy with the victims s
and their relatives, of course. but did
We hear anything about sympathy for
neutrals when England adopted her
diabolical plan of starving a great
nation? Where was foreign sympathy
tants of East Prussia were robbed and
murdered by Russian hordes without
any military purpose whatever?
Points to Semi-Savages.
why this sudden concentration of
sympathy upon unfortunate victims of
the sea while civilized neutral nations
show little sympathy for hundreds of
thousands who suffer a far more terri
-
and west in war for existence forced
upon us. and which would have ended
long since but for shipments OF NUM-
ttons to our enemies-a war in which
the English and French have assem-
bled yellow, brown and black semi
savages for our destruction?"