The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-05-19
4oDs.
GERMANY MUST DROP
INHUMANE METHODS
CONTINUED from page ~

that any citizen of the United States
who exercised his right of free ira
vel upon the seas would do so at his '
peril if his journey should take him '
within the zone of waters within '
which the imperial German navy was =
using submarines against the COM .
merce of Great Britain and France, =
Notwithstanding the respectful but =
very earnest protest of MS govern q
ment, the government Of the United =
States. l do not refer to this for .
the purpose of calling the attention .
of the imperial German government .
at this time to the surprising irreg q. =.
larity of a communication from the .
imperial German embassy at Wash
ington addressed to the people Of :
the United States through the news '
papers, but only for the purpose Of '
pointing out that no warning that an =
unlawful and inhumane act will be =
committed can possibly be accepted =
as an excuse or palliation for that =
act or as an abatement of the re- =
sponsibility for it's commission. =
Exceeded Their Or.l."s. =
"Long acquainted as this govern =
ment has been with the character Of =
the imperial German government .
and with the high principles # =
equity with which they have in the .
past been actuated and guided, the .
government of the United States can !
not believe that the commanders of !
the vessels which committed these =;
acts of lawlessness did so except I'M
der a misrepresentation of the orders =;
issued by the imperial German naval ':
authorities. 1t takes it for granted =
that, at least within the practical =
possibilities of every such case, the =
commanders of submarines were eX- =:
pected to do nothing that would in =
volve the lives of noncombatants or =
the safety of neutral ships, even at :
the cost of failing of their object of >
capture or destruction. 1t conf !;
IDENTIFY expects, therefore, that the =;
imperial German government will :;
disavow the acts of which the gov .:
eminent of the United States CON-
plains, that they will make repara- y;
ton so far as r~eparation is possible, ':
for injuries which are without mea- =
sure, and that they will take imme- =
diate steps to prevent the recurrence =
of anything so obviously subversive
of the principles of warfare for
which the imperial German govern
ment have in the past s. wisely and
so firmly c%ontended.
Look for Just Action.
"The government and people of
the United States look to the imper-
ial German government for just, n
prompt and enlightened action in
this vital matter with the greater Ell
confidence because the United States Z
and Germany are bound together 81
not only by special ties of friend
ship but also by the explicit stipula-
tions of the treaty of 1923 between
the United States and the kingdom
of Prussia.
Expressions of regret and offers
of PREPARATION in case of the destruc- Ii
ton of neutral ships sunk by mis- IL
take, while they may satisfy inter- n,
national obligations, if no loss Of II
life results, can not justify or excuse q ,
a practice, the natural and necessary
effect of which is to subject neutral p
nations and neutral persons to new =
and unreasonable risks. \
"The imperial German government
will not expect the government of
the United States to omit any word
or any act necessary to the perform +
ance of its sacred duty of maintain
inp the rirhts of the United States E
and it's citizens and of safeguarding -
their free exercise and enjoyment. y
Bryan"