The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-06-17


without so much as a challenge or q
warning, and that men. women and
children were sent to their death in
unparalleled in modern
warfare.
THE fact that more than one hun
dred American citizens we're among
those who perished made it the duty
of the government of the United
States to speak Of these things, and
once more, with solemn emphasis, TO
call the attention of the Imperial Ger
man government to the grave respon-
sibility which the government OF the
United States conceives that 1t has in
CURED in this tragic occurrence, and |
to the indisputable principle upon
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 contending for nothing less high and
sacred than the rights OF humanity,
which every government honors itsel
in respecting and which no govern
ment is justified in resigning on behalf
of those under it's care and authority.
"Only her actual resistance to cap
ture or refusal to stop when ordered
to do so for the purpose OF visiting
should have afforded the commander
of the submarine any jurisdiction for
so much as putting the lives of those
on board the ship in jeopardy.
Stand for Humanity.
This principle the government OF
the United States understands the ex'
plicit instructions issued on August 3,
1914, by the imperial German admir-
atty to it's commanders at sea to have
recognized and embodied, as do the ma
val codes of all other nations, and
upon it every traveller and seaman had
right to depend.
ut is upon this principle Of human
ity as we'll as upon the law founded
upon this principle, that the United
States must stand.
"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 Uni
| ted States in an attempt to come to
an understanding with the government
of Great Britain by which the charac-
ter and conditions of the war upon
the sea may be changed.
"The government Of the United
! States would consider it a privilege
thus to serve its friends and the
world. 1t stands ready at any time to
convey to either government any in
timation or suggestion the other may
be willing to have it convey and cor
daily invites the imperial German
government to make use of its services
in this way at it's convenience. The
whole world is concerned in anything
that may bring about even partial
accommodation of interests or in any
way mitigate the terrors of the pres
ent distressing conflict.
Representations Renewed.
'1n the meantime, whatever arrange.
ment may 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 eircumstantial jus
tification for the past acts of its COM
manders at sea, the government of the
United States confidently looks to see
the Justice and humanity of the gov
ernment of Germany vindicated in all
cases where Americans have been
wronged or their rights as neutrals in.
vaded.
THE government of the United
States therefore very earnestly and
very solemnly renews the representa-
tions of its note transmitted to the I'M
perial German government on the fit'
teenth of May, and relies in these rep
resentations upon the principles of hui
manity. the universally recognized un
derstandings of international law and
the ancient friendship of the German
nation.
About the War Zone.
"The government of the United
States can not admit that the procla
nation of war zone from which neu
tral ships have been warned to keeI
away may be made to operate as in
any degree an abbreviation of the
rights either of American shipmasters
or of American citizens bound on law
full errands as passengers on merchant
ships of belligerent nationality. II
does not understand the Imperial Ger
man government to question those
rights.
ut understands it, also, to accept as
established beyond question the prin
ciple that the lives of noncombatantS
can not lawfully or rightfully be pu
in jeopardy by the character or de
struction of an unreGisting merchant
man and to recognize the obligation t.
take sufficient precaution to ascertain
, whether a suspected merchantmen !!
in fact of belligerent nationality or i!
in fact carrying contraband of wal
under a neutral flag.
"The government of the United
States therefore deems it reasonable
to expect that the Imperial German
government will adopt the measure!
: necessary to put these principles int
S practice in respect to the safeguarding
of American lives and American ships
, and asks for assurances that this vii
!, be done. ROBERT LANSING,
t Secretary of State Ad Interim"
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