New-York tribune., 1915-09-06


y E.efday morning seventy miles south
west Of Fastnet Light The Ameri-
can Consul at Queenstown reports that
there were one or two Americans on
board, thus apparently putting this at
tack. so far as the United States is con-
cerned. into the same class as the attack
on the Arabic The consuls dispatch calls
attention 10 the fact that the Hesperian
carried 47-inch stern gun. But merely
carving such a gun for defensive pur-
poses. and not having used it to attack
the submarine, would not deprive the liner
of her rights under international law as
merchantmen.
Only six lives were lost on the Hes
perian. according TO the latest available
reports. None of the six victims was
an American. But that fortunate circum-
stance does not, from the American point
of view, relieve the commander of the
German submarine Of criminal culpabll-
itv. Nor can it mitigate the deplorable
contrast between his lawless conduct and
the pledges Of 4 reformation IN the
methods of submarine warfare recently
given by his government 10 the govern
ment Of the United States.
Writing on September last to Secre-
tary Lansing, Count Won Bernstorff said
that his instructions from his government
concerning the answer to be made to the
last American communication on the Lusl-
tania case contained this passage: Liners
will not be sunk by our submarines with
out warning and without safety of the
lives Of non-combatants, provided that the
liners do not try TO escape or offer resist
ance."
This change Of policy was decided upon
by the German government, Count Won
Bernstorff assured our State Department,
before the Arabic was torpedoed. The
commander of the submarine which sank
the Arabic was either ignorant of the
change of front at Berlin or he disobeyed
his instructions. The Commander Of the
submarine which sank the Hesperian must
have known about the new orders and
either accidentally or intentionally dlsre-
garded them.
We must deplore the disastrous discrep-
-ancy between what the government IN
Berlin has promised to do and what Its
agents in charge of submarines actually
do do in its name on the high seas. Acct
dents repeated too often become a pro
oramne as well as a habit. Yet in neither
.he Hesperian nor the Arabic case woulC
our government be justified In holding
that the pledge explicitly and publicly
made By the German authorities has beer
vitiated by the blunders or insubordina
ton Of individual naval commanders.
Germany has disavowed the action OF
the officer who destroyed the Arabic She
is bound 10 disavow the action of the Off
Ger who torpedoed the Hesperian, unless
later facts put a new face on the incident
1t is in these cases primarily the duty o.
the German authorities to demonstrate
their good faith by disciplining agent:
.who fail TO carry out their instructions
So long as we accept the assurances OF
Count Won Bernstorff at their face value
land there is no good reason for question
ing their sincerity or validity we mus
regard individual deviations from the new
submarine policy less as offences agains
us than as offences by its own servant!
against the dignity, authority and gooC
name of the German government.
Berlin has even more reason thar
Washington has for moving to end thi!
sorry exhibition of perversity and inefi
cheney in the execution of programme Il
which Germany has solemnly pledged hei
honor. Blunders like the attacks on tn
Arabic and the Hesperian are a humiliat
ing reflection on Germany's administra
tive competency, even if they cannot b.
held to sully her international good faith