The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-05-21

iAoo oUSol Fou Will growing ConCeT
distress and amazement.
Recalling the humane and enIight
ened attitude hitherto assumed b.
the imperial German government il
matters Of international right, an,
particularly with regard to the free
dom Of the seas; having learned Il
recognize the German views and til,
German influence in the field Of in
ternational obligation as always en-
gagged upon the side Of justice and nu
manity; and having understood the in
structions Of the imperial German
government to It's naval commander!
to be upon the same plane Of humart
action prescribed by the naval code
Of other nations, the government O.
the United States was loath to believe
1T cannot now bring itself to believe
that these acts so absolutely con
trary to the rules. the practices ant
the spirit Of modern warfare, could
have the c%ountenance or sanction o
that great government. It feels it K
be its duty therefore to address the
imperial German government concern
ing them with the utmost frankness
and in the earnest hope that 1t is
not mistaken in expecting action or
the part of the imperial German gov
eminent, which will correct the TN
favorable impressions which have
been created and vindicate once more
the position Of that government with
regard to the sacred freedom Of the
seas.
No War Zone Rights Over Americans
1.-THE government Of the United
States has been appraised that the i'm
perial German government consider
ed themselves to be obliged by the
extraordinary circumstances Of the
present war and the measures adopt
ed by their adversaries in seeking to
cut Germany off from all commerce,
to adopt methods Of retaliation which
60 much beyond the ordinary meth
DDS Of warfare at sea in the proclama-
ton Of a war zone, from which they
have warned neutral ships to keep
away. This government has already
taken occasion to inform the'imperial
German government that it cannot
admit the adoption of such measures
or such a warning Of dangers to ope-
rate as in any degree an abbrevia-
ton of the rights OF American ship
masters or or American ~cisfxessl
hound On lawful ersAndssas paassns
gers on merchant ships of belligerent
and that it must hold the
imperial German government to a
strict accountability for any infringe
ment of those rights, intention or in
cidental.
ut does not understand the im-
perial German government to question
those rights. 1t assumes on the con-
trary that the imperial government
accepts, as Of course, the rule that the
lives Of noncombatants, whether they
be OF neutral citizenship or citizens
Of one Of the nations at war, cannot
lawfully or rightfully be put IN jeo-
pardy by the capture or destruction
of an unarmed merchantmen. and rec
ognizes also, as all other natio's do.
the obligation to take the usual pre-
caution to ascertain whether a sup
posed merchantmen Is In fact of belig-
erent nationality or is in act carry
ing contraband of war under a neutral
flag.
Protest Against Submarine Warfare.
"The government of the United
States, therefore, desires to call the
attention Of the imperial German gov.
eminent, with the utmost e%arnestness,
to the fact that the objection to
their present method Of attack against
the trade Of their enemies lies In the
practical impossibility of employing
submarines in the destruction Of COM
merce without desregarding those
rules Of fairness, reason, justice and
humanity which all modern opinion
regards Is imperative. It is practi.
cally impossible for the officers OF q
submarine to visit a merchantmen at
sea and examine her papers and car
60. 1t is practically impossible for
them to make a prize of her and II
they cannot put a prize crew on board
Of her, they cannot sink her without
leaving her crew and all on board of
her to the mercy Of the sea in her
small boats. These Facts, it is under.
stood. the imperial German govern
ment frankly admits. We arc inform.
ed that in the instances of which
we have spoken time enough for even
that poor measure of safety was not
given and in at least two of the cases
cited not so much az a warning w Is
received. Manifestly submarines can
not be used against merchantmen, as
the last few weeks have shown with.
out an inevitable violation OF MANY
sacred principles OF justice and hn
mainly.
VIII Uphold Rights of Americans.