The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1915-07-30


E submarine operations as have charac-
+ terized the activity of the Imperial
3 German Navy within the So-called war
zone in substantial accord with the &C
cepted practices of regulated warfare,
I The whole world has looked with in
terest and increasing satisfaction at
+ the demonstration Of that possibility
+ by German naval commanders. II is
msnifestly possible. therefore, TO lift
! the whole practice of submarine at
tack above the criticism which it has
aroused and remove the chief causes
of oftense.
In view Of the admission of illegality
made by the Imperial Government
when il pleaded the right of retaliation
( in defense of its acts, and in view OF
the manifest possibility of conform.
ing to the established rules of naval
warfare. the Government of the United
States cannot believe that the In
perial Government will longer refrain
from disavowing the wanton act of
its naval commander in sinking the
Lusitania or from offering PREPARATION
for the American lives lost, so far as
reparation can be made for a need
less destruction of human life by an
illegal act
The Government of the United
States. while not Indifferent to the
friendly spirit in which it is made.
| cannot accept the suggestion Of the
/ Imperial German Government that GER
tain vessels be designated and agreed
upon which shall be free on the seas
now illegally prescribed. The very
agreement would. by implication. sub
ject other vessels to illegal attack
and would be curtailment, and there
fore an abandonment. of the principles
for which this Government contends
and which in times of calmer eoun-
sells every nation would concede as
of course
To Uphold Rights "At Any Cost"
The Government of the United
States and the Imperial German Gov
eminent are contending for the same
great object. have long stood together
in urging the very principles. upon
which the Government of the United
States now solemnly insists. They
are both contending for the freedom
of the seas. The Government of the
United States will continue to contend
for that freedom, from whatever quar-
ter violated. without compromise and
al any cost. 1t invites the practical
cooperation of the Imperial German
Government al this time when CO.
operation may accomplish most and
this great common object be most
strikingly and effectively achieved.
The Imperial German Government
expresses the hope that this object
may be in some measure accomplished
even before the present war ends. IL
can be. The Government of the
United States not only feels obliged to
insist upon il, by whomsoever violated
or ignored, in the protection of its own
citizens. but is also deeply interested
in seeing il made practicable between
L2-t DE4A4ECA ems themselves anu uOluS
itself ready al any time TO act as the
common friend who may be privileged
10 suggest way.
IN the meantime the very value
which this Government sets upon the
long and unbroken friendship between
the people and Government of the
United States and the people and Gov
eminent Of the German nation impels
il 10 press very solemnly upon the
Imperial German Government the
necessity OF scrupulous observance
Of neutral rights in this critical mat
ter Friendship itself prompts it to
say to the Imperial Government that
repetition by the commanders of Ger
man naval vessels of acts in contra
vention Of those rights must be re-
garded by the Government of the
United States. when they affect Ameri-
can citizens, as deliberately unfriendly.
LANSING.