American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-06-17
WHAT WOULD AMERICA DO
If in GERMANY,S PLACEf
Discussion OF European Situation
From the Standpoint of q Neutral.
(By ]. H. GIPSON.)

est mas Deen manifested In q COntr1-
button by Mr., GIBSON. published some
days ago. in which he characterized
the sinking of the Lusitania as will
full murder" Mr.. GIBSON is in receipt
of numerous pamphlets and publica-
tons presenting Germany's side of the
story. and other communications,
which il is impossible for him to ac-
know ledge personally. In this article
he has attempted to answer the ques-
tons and meet the criticisms of his
correspondence
An unknown friend at Hammett has
sent me a copy of the "Fatherland,'
the spirited pro-GeTman weekly of
New York City. which contains a let
ter written to Colonel Roosevelt by
Doctor Vol Mach, one of teh most
liberal, sweet tempered and well bal
anced of the great German philoso-
pliers. In his letter Herr Won Mach
takes the colonel to task for his ut
%terances after the sinking of the Lusi-
tania and attempts to shift the blame
for that great tragedy from Berlin to
London and Washington.
Some of the points made by
u learned German friend deserve
thoughtful consideration, which the
calm and temperate nature of his COM
m~unication strongly urge.
In brief, Germany's defense in this
letter rests upon the fact that the
L~usitania was carrying a cargo of con-
traband of war, small arms and m
munftion-which 1t was the duty OF the
German navy to keep from reaching
England. Germany had given fair
warning of her intention to sink the
ship, by public advertisement In the
metropolitan press and by anonymous
communications sent to passengers
before the boat sailed. Great Britain's
course in declaring a paper blockade
OF Germany, and in i~nterdicting COM
merce with neutrals which might sup
ply the needs of the German people, a
distinct violation of what was once
known as international law, has forced
Germany to extreme retaliatory meas
ures. Our state department comes in
for its share of criticism. Attention is
directed to the fact that Secretary Bry-
an had established a precedent in urg-
ing Americans to leave Mexico and IN
refusing passports to those desiring 70
enter that country in its present unset
tied condition and that a far greater
obligation rested upon him to prevent
Americans from sailing I'm a vessel
which was publicly threatened with de
struction. The view is expressed that
the Lusitania would have remained
afloat for hours after being %torpedoed
had 1t not been for the explosion of her
dangerous cargo, and that had she
remained afloat, the rescue of her pas
sengers and crew would have been GER
tain.
Unquestionably Germany ives we'll
within her rights in sinking the Lusi-
tania, either within the war zone, de-
fined by her blocade proclamation or
at any other place on the high seas.
where the vessel might have been
found. She had this right Independent
of the fact that the vessel carried war
munitions. AS the ship of a comba-
tant, the Lusitania was subject at any
time to capture and destruction If her
captors were unable to take her to any
German port. II has been n recognized
rule of international law, however, that
the lives of the passengers and crew
must be ~safeguarded in the course of
such capture and destruction, and the
fact that no warning was given nor no
opportunity allowed the passengers to
take to the boats before the fatal tor
pedo was launched, alters the destruc-
ton of the Lusitania from an act of
war to an act of murder.
The Scientific American editorially
discusses the German claim that the
swift sinking of the Lusitania was due
to explosions of her cargo, and dis
misses that claim as absurd. As a
matter of fact, so tremendously de-
structive are the long range torpedoes
used by the German submarines that
even ba|ttleships, constructed with a
special view to Withstand such attacks
have been sunk in a less time than the
Is minutes which the great passenger
ship remained afloat.
| believe that the captain of the Ger
man submarine probably supposed that
the ship would float for a longer time
than was the case, and her close prox-
unity TO shore would render reasonable
the expectation that the passengers
would escape.
The fact is, however, that no matter
how humane a man he might be in
happier times, under the conditions
! conceive that he would have sunk the
great ship even had he anticipated the
terrible loss of life. His conception of
his duty TO his country would outweigh
his duty to humanity.
That really. it would apear. is the
point around which the criticisms d.
rected at the policy followed by the
kaiser in the conduct of the war, must
center. There is no defending the in
vasion Of unoffending Belgium. The
aerial attacks upon unfortified towns
by German aviators, the bombardment
of defenseless coast points without
warning, or Germany's submarine war
fare against the British merchant ma
rine with the inevitable loss of non
combatant lives, except by the doctrine
of extreme national necessity.
The German position is not hard to
understand II we Americans will free
our minds of a considerable share OF