The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-07-15

many, even when neutral property
Just as it was also with the Beers,
the German people is now to be given
the choice of perishing from starva-
ton with it's women and children, or
of relinquishing it's independence.
"While our enemies thus loudly
and openly proclaimed war without
mercy until our utter destruction,
we were conducting a war IN self
defense for our national existence
and for the sake Of peace OF an as
sured permancy. We have been OBJ
liged to adopt submarine warfare
to meet the declared intentions OF
our enemies and the method OF war
fare adopted by them in contraven-
ton of international law.
with all it's efforts in principle
to protect neutral life and property
from damage as much as possible,
the German government recognized
unreservedly in its memorandum OF
FEBRUARY 4 that the interests OF neu-
trails might suffer from the subma-
rine warfare. However, the Ameri-
can government will also understand
and appreciate that in the fight for
existence which has been forced up
on Germany by its adVersaries and
announced by them, it is the sacred
duty of the imperial government to
do all within its power to protect
and save the lives Of German sub
jects. If the imperial government
were derelict in these, its duties, it
would be guilty before God and his
tory of the violation Of those princi-
pies of highest humanity which are
the foundation of every national eX-
istence.
THE case of the Lusitania shows
with horrible clearness to what jeo-
pardizing Of human lives the man
ner of conducting war employed by
our adversaries leads. In the most
direct contraction of international
law, all distinctions between mer-
chantmen and war vessels have been
obliterated by the order to British
merchantmen to arm themselves and
to ram submarines and the promise
of rewards therefore, and neutrals
who use merchantmen as travellers
thereby have been exposed in an in
creasing degree to all the dangers
of war. ..-
IF the commander Of the German
submariner which destroyed the
Lusitania had caused the crew and
passengers to take to the boats be-
fore firing a torpedo this would
have meant the sure destruction of
his own vessel. After the expert
ences in sinking much smaller and
less seaworthy vessels, it was to be
expected that mighty ship like the
Lusitania would remain above water
long enough even after the torpedo
ing to permit passengers to enter
the ships boats. Circumstances of
very peculiar kind, especially the
presence on board of large quantities
of highly explosive materials, de-
feated this expectation. In addition
it may be pointed out that if the
Lusitania had been spared thousands
of cases of munitions would have
been sent to Germany's enemies and
thereby thousands Of German
mothers and children robbed of
breadwinners.
I'm the spirit of friendship where
with the German nation has been i'm
bued towards the union and it's in
habitants since the earliest days Of
it's existence, the imperial govern
it can during the present war also
70 prevent the jeopardizing of lives
of American citizens. The .imerial
government, therefore, repeats the
assurances that American ships will
not be hindered in the prosecution of
legitimate shipping and the lives of
American citizens in neutral vessels
shall not be placed in jeopardy
"In order to exclude any unfor-
seen dangers to American steamers
made possible in view of the conduct
of maritime war by Germany's adj
versaries, German submarines will
be instructed to permit the free and
safe passage of such passenger steam
ers when made recognizable by spec
ial markings and notified reason
able time in advance. The imperial
government. however, confidently
hopes that the American government
will assume to guarantee these YES
sells have no ccntraband On board,
details of arrangement for the I'M
1empered passage Of these vessels
TO be agreed upon by the naval au-
thorities on both sides.
In order to furnish adequate fac
llltleS Tor travel across the Atlantic
for American citizens, the German
government submits for considera-
ton a proposal to increase the num-
Der of available steamers by install
ing in passenger service a reasonable
number of neutral steamers under
the American flag, the exact number
to be agreed upon under the same
condition as the above mentioned
American steamers.
'The imperial government believes
it can assume that in this manner
adequate facilities for travel across
the Atlantic ocean can be afforded
American citizens. There would,
therefore, appear to be no COMPEL
ing necessity for American citizens
to travel to Europe in time of war
on ships carrying an enemy flag. In
particular the imperial government
is unable to admit that American
citizens can protect an enemy ship
through the mere fact of their pres
ence on board.
Germany merely followed Eng
lands example when she declared
part of the high sea an area-of war.
Consequently accidents suffered by
nQI1fra1c chinc