The Sentinel=record., 1915-05-14

that it must hold the imperial Ger man government 10 a strict accounta- bility for any infringement of those rights. intentional or incidental. T. does not understand the imperial German government to question those ri4htS II assumes on the contrary that the imperial German government accepts as of course. the rule that the lives of non-combatants whether tleE be of neutral citizenship or citizens Of one of the nations at war. cannot 'aw- fully or rightly be put in jeopardy by the capture or destruction of ag unarmed merchautman and recognize also. as all other nations do. the obi gation to take the usual precaution of visit and search to ascertain whether 8 susDected merchantmen is in fact Of belligerent nationality or is in fact carrying contraband of war under 8 neutral flag.
 The government of the United States therefore desires to call the at- tention of the imperial German gov ernment with the utmost earnestuess to the fact that the objection to their present method of attack against the trade of their enemies lies in the practical impOssibiljty of employ ing submarines in the destruction of com. merce without disregardng those rules of fairness, reason, justice and humanity which all modern opinion regards as imperative Ii is practical ly impossible for the officers of a submarine to visit merchantmen at sea and examine her papers and cargo lt is practically impossible for them to make prize of her and if they cannot put a prize crew on board of her, they cannot sink her without leav- ing her crew and all on board of her to the mercy of the sea in her small boats These facts, it is understood, the imperial German goyernm ent frankly admits We are informed that in the instances Of which we have s oken time enough for even that poor measure of safety was not given. and in at least two of the cases cited no. so much as a warning was received Alanitestiy submarines cannot be used aganst merchantmen as the last few weeks has shown, without an inevit- able yiolatcr of many sacred prin- cipies of justice and humanity
 American citizens act within their indisputabie rights in taking their
 ships and in travelling wherever tbeiI legitimate business calls them upon the high seas. and exercise thos
 rights in what should be the well jus tified confidence that their lives will not be endangered by acts done in clear violation of universally ackndWl. edged international obligation. and certainly in the confidence that their own government will sustain them in the exercise of their rights.
 There was recently published in the newspapers of the United States, l regret to inform the imperial Ger man government. a formal warning, purporting to come from the imperial German embassy at Washington. ad- hA 1o0th iO AIlt .tOHlt Ol lIIt V AIit1A States wno exercised the right of free travel upon the high 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 commerce of Great Britain and France. notwithstanding the res lect ful but very earnest protest of his government, the government of the Unit@A states l do not refer to this for he purpose of calling the atten ton Iof the imperia' German govern mef at this time Co the surprising | irr5eularity Of communication from | thd imperial German embassy al WI .hiugton addressed 70 the people ofI the United States tarough the news Ira, ,pers. but only for the purpose oI ] CoNTlNr ON rAGr EIGHT