Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-03-09
BAR SEAS TO KAISER
COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF GER
MANY Is E,EcREED BY THE
ALLIES.
ENJOYS GIVE NOTES TO U. S.
Britain and France Forced to Retail
ate, Notices Assert-Declare EN-
peror Substitutes lndlscriminate De-
struction for Regulated Capture.


announced in the house of commons
on Moniay that the government had
decided to prevent commodities Of
any kind from reaching Germany OF
leaving that country.
This means that no foodstuffs of any
kind will be allowed to reach Ger
many. The embargo will also be ex
tended to raw materials.
This action was taken by the British
government In retaliation for Ger
many's submarine warfare against
English merchant ships.
England will now try to starve Ger
many into submission. 1t is believed
that the embargo of the British gov
eminent upon foodstuffs and raw ma
terials will increase the activities o.
the German submarine in the bread
war" against England. In making the
momentous announcement, Premier
Asquith said:
There Is NO form of economic pres
sure which we do not consider our
selves entitled to assert under exist
ing conditions"
Premier Asquith, in speaking OF Ger
manys submarine war, declared:
Germany has taken step without
precedence in organizing a campaign
of piracy and pillage.
This is not the time to talk peace.
Those who do SO are the victims OF
self-delusion. The allies will never
sheath the sword till all objects
wherefore they have gone to war have
been achieved"
Washington, March 3.-The sub
stance of the British and French notes
is contained in the following statement
given out by the state department on
Monday:
Germany has declared that the
English channel, the north and west
coasts of France and waters around
the British Isles are war area and
has officially notified that all enemy
ships found in that area will be de-
stroyed and that neutral ships may
be exposed to danger. This is, in eff
AOSSB a Nld11l ~ lAS LA6At " OApC0o az
sight, without regard to the safety of
the crew or passengers, any merchant
vessels under any flag. AS it is not
in the power Of the German admiralty
to maintain any surface craft in these
waters. this attack can only be deliv'
cred by submarine agency.
THE law and custom of nations in
regard to attacks on commerce have
always presumed that the first duty
of the captor of a merchant vessel Is
it may be tried, where the regularity of
the capture may be challenged and
where neutrals may recover their car
goes. The sinking of prizes is in itself
an Inadequate act to be resorted to
only in extraordinary circumstances
and after provision has been made
for the safety of all the crew or pas
sengers.
eff there are passengers on board
the responsibility for discriminating
between neutral and enemy vessels
and between neutral and enemy cargo,
obviously rests with the attacking
ship, whose duty it is to verify the
status and character of the vessel
and cargo and to preserve all papers
before sinking or even capturing 1t.
at is upon this basis that all pre-
vious discussions of the law for regu-
lating warfare at sea have proceeded.
A German submarine, however, full
fills none of the obligations; she en-
joys no local command of the waters
In which she operates; she does not
ton of prize court; she carries no
prize crew which she can put on board
prize.
THE German declaration substi-
tutes indiscriminate destruction ?or
regulated capture. Germany is adopt
ing these methods against peaceful
traders and noncombatant crews with
the avowed object of preventing COM
modities of all kinds, including food
for the civil population, from reach
ing or leaving the British Isles or
northern France.
Her opponents are therefore driven
to frame retaliatory measures in or
der In their turn to prevent commod-
tiles of any kind from reaching or
leaving Germany. These measures
will, however. be enforced by the Brit
ish and Frerch governments without
risk TO neutral ships or to neutral or
noncom Blatant life and in strict observ-
ance CT the dictates of humanity. The
British and French governments will
therefore hold themselves free to de-
tain and to take into port ships carry
ing goods of presumed enemy destina-
ton, ownership or origin"