Arizona republican., 1915-07-09
War and It's Changing Rules


 Though the German reply to the second Amer ican note on submarine warfare has not been re- cciyed. it that it will be unresponsve and unsatisfactory. Readers of The Republican will recall that the time the first note was sent It was the opinion of this paper that reply that Germany would be unsat tsfactory- It could not expected that her submarine blockade would abandoned so long as an ineffective Brit ish blockade maintained against not only Germany. but every European neutral country. An abandonment by Germany of its submarine methods would mean that Britain could detach every British merchant vessel the naval service. load it with munitions of American port and the safe delivery of the warlike cargo by taking American passengers That is pre- esely what acceptance of our position would have
 Our intention was ultimately, of course, to of American citizens travelling on bellig- erent or other merchant vessels The German re- ply, understand, proposes that that end shall be reached in another way: that this government shall that passengers shall be separated from such dangerous cargoes. That amounts to pr6- posal a change of the international law upon which we have elected stand. though lawyers statesmen have told for hundred years that there s international law binding upon nations. and though. England without consulting other nations. from time to tiIne has changed in ternationaI with reference the
 Months ago The Republican stated that the international rules of were automatically changed by changes in the instruments of war that the submarine the most startling change this respect, and that the rules must be bent to fit it. This same view is taken great length by Allan L. Benson Something New in War in the Pearsons Magazine. Says MT Ben son
 What we are going have for ir time after the close of the present war. is Prussan branded international law. We now shudder the fate of the Lusitana, as well may. The destruction of the ship was das- tardly deed But the sending out of the ship. laden with both passengers ammunition also dastardly deed. International law within a few years will justify the sinking of ships like the Lusi tania
 We are seldom so blind when the of evolution at work Human beings can be- come accustomed to almost anything except change Always resent interference with the existing order. We take slight account of why things are, why they may be different.
 get certain facts clearly in minds.
 The legalized instruments for killing never the result of international law, but international law a it relates to killing, is always the result of the killing instruments of the time. In other words the frigates of a hundred years ago and the battleships today not the result of law, international law is the result of frigates and battIeshps It is not because ternational says that battleships and cruisers may not sink ship bearing neutral or other non combatants without first taking care of them that battleships and cruisers take of such persons It is bateships and cruisers physically O that that they take aboard all human be- ngs ships. If battleships and cruisers were unable rescue non-combatants. all of the inter national could be written in thousand years could not make the mdo so
 The submarine, within certain limits, has enorH- ous offensive potentalities In few seconds it can fatally wound the biggest ship that ever foated It do in a moment what batteship do perhaps, in hour.
 a blockade that battleship or cruiser could run. the submarine cannot take aboard passengers and from the ships it de- stroys
 Indeed, the submarine cannot without the gravest danger to itself to the success or It's purpose, give warning it's victims.
 Plainly here is a ship that is in sense fitted for international law of the day. The public sentiment the world at the moment outlaws the ship. Bravey the New York World we arc not going have "Prussian law at sea" We are going international law that was framed the frigate.
 Are we? We certainly not unless we re- all the history of the past The submarine IS too powerful useful a weapon be thrown aside.
 MT Benson the subject of international amenities in this wise:
 Whoever appraises individual nation without appraising his its environment a most important omission.
 The degree of brutality to which nation will