Mexico Missouri message., 1915-06-17

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and souls, who had no part or lot
in the conduct of war, was torpedoed
and sunk without SO much as a chal-
lenge or a warning, and that men,
women and children were sent to
their death in circumstances unparaf
leled In modern warfare. The fact
that more than one hundred Ameri
can citizens were among those who
perished made it the duty Of the gov.
eminent of the United States to
speak Of these things, and once
more, with solemn emphasis, to call
the attention of the Imperial German
government to the grave response
bility which the government of the
United States conceives that It has
incurred in this tragic occurrence,
and to the indisputable principle up
on which that responsibility rests.
The government of the United States
is contending for something much
greater than mere rights of property
or privileges of commerce. 1t is con-
tending for nothing less than high
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
authority. Only her actual resist
ance to capture or refusal to stop
when ordered to do so for the pur-
pose of visit could have afforded the
commander Of the submarine any jus.
LITIGATION for so much as putting the
lives Of those on board the ship in
jeopardy.
This principle the government of
the United States understands the
explicit instructions issued on August
8, 1914, by the Imperial German ad-
miralty to its commanders at sea to
have recognized and embodied as
do the naval codes of all other ma
tons, and upon it every traveller and
seaman had right to depend. 1t
is upon this principle Of humanity,
as we'll as upon the law founded up
on this principle, that the United
States must stand.
Looks to Germany for Justice.
The government OF the United
States Is happy to observe that your
excellency's note closes with the In
timation that the Imperial German
government is willing, now as before,
to accept the good offices OF the Unit
ed 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 privilege thus to
serve its friends and the world. 1t
stands ready at any time to convey to
either government any intimation or
suggestion the other may be willing
to have it convey, and cordially in
vites the Imperial German govern
ment to make use of its services in
this way that may bring about even
a partial accommodation of inter
ests or in any way mitigate the ter
rors of the present distressing con-
flict.
In the meantime, whatever arrange
ment might happily be made between
the parties to the war, and whatever
may, in the opinion Of the Imperial
German government, have been the
provocation or the circumstantial
justification for the past acts of its
commanders at sea, the government
of the United States confidently
looks to see justice and humanity Of
the government of Germany vindi-
Gated in all cases where Americans
have been wronged or their rights as
neutrals invaded.
Renews Demand in Previous Note.
The government of the United
States, therefore, very earnestly and
very solemnly renews the represen-
tations of it's note transmitted to the
Imperial German government on the
10Th of May, and relies in these rep
reservations upon the principles Of
humanity, the universally recognized
understandings of international law,
and the ancient friendship Of the
German nation.
The government of the United
States cannot admit that the proc
lamation Of war zone from which
neutral ships have been warned to
keep away may be made to operate
as in any degree an abandonment Of
the rights either of American ship
masters or OF American citizens
bound on lawful errands as passen-
gers on merchant ships Of belligerent
nationality. 1t does not understand
the Imperial German government to
question those rights.
1t understands IL also, to accept as
established beyond question the prin-
ctple that the lives Of noncombatants
cannot lawfully or rightfully be put
in jeopardy by the capture or de-
struction Of an unresisting merchants
man, and TO recognize the obligation
to take sufficient precaution to as
certain whether a suspected mer
chairman is In fact of belligerent ma
tionality, or is in fact carrying con
traband of war under q neutral flag
The government of the United States