Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-06-10

support! I "a. .&i5i
"The second point of difference is
as to the course which should be pur.
sued in regard to Americans travelling
on beligerent ships Or with cargoes
of ammunition.
,"Why should an American citizea
be permitted to involve the country
in war by travelling upon a belligeT
rent ship he knows that the ship will
pass through danger zone? The
question is not whether an American
citizen has right under internatic:
nal law to travel on belligerent
ship; the question is whether he ought
not, out of consideration for his coun.
try, if not for his own safety, avoid
danger when avoidance is possible.
'It is a very one-sided citizenship
that compels government to go to
war over a citizens right and We:
relieves the citizen of all obligations
to consider his nations welfare. do
not know just how far the President
can go legally in actually preventing
Americans from travelling on hell;-.
gerent ships, but l believe the g ".
ernment should go as far as it can
and that in case of doubt II should
give the benefit of the doubt to the
government.
"But even if the government coul..
not legally prevent citizens from
travelling on belligerent ships, it
could, and in my judgment should
earnestly advise American citizens
not to risk themselves or the peace
of their country, and / have no doub,
that these warnings would be heeGed
president Taft advised American:
to leave Mexico when insurrectior
broke out there, and President vii |
son has repeated the advice. Tni:
advice in my judment, was eminently j
wise, and l think the same course
should be followed in regard to warn
ing Americans to keep off vessel
subject to attack.
81 think, too, that American pas
senger ships should be prohibited
from carrying ammunition. The live
of passengers ought not to be en-
dangered by cargoes of ammunition.
that danger comes from pos
sible explosions within or from pos
sible attacks from without. Passen
gers and ammunition should not
travel together. The attempt to pre-
vent American citizens from incur
ring these risks is entirely consis
tent with the effort which our gov
ernment is making to prevent. attacks
from submarines.
"The use of one remedy does no;
exclude the use of the other. The !
most familiar illustration is to be
found in the. action taken by munich
pal authorities during a riot. 1t is
the duty of the mayor: to suppress
the mob and: to: prevent. violence, bu'
he does not hesitate to warn citizens
to/keep off the, streets during the
riots, He does not question. thei'
right to use the streets, but, for, thei
own protection and in the interest o.
order, he warns them not to incur
the risks involved in going upon the
streets when men are shooting al
each other.
"The President does not feel justitl.
ed in taking the action above sug.
gested. That is, he does not feel
justified, first in suggesting the sub.
mission of the controversy to inves-
tigation, or, second, in warning the
people not to incur the extra hazards
in travelling on belligerent ships O.
on ships carrying ammunition. Ane
he NAV be right in the position he
has taken, but as a private citzlel
! am free to urge both Of these pro
positions and to call public attention
to these remedies in the hope of Sc:
curing such an expression of public
sentiment as will support the Presi-
dent in employing these remedies
if in the future he finds it consis-
tent with his sense of duty to favor
them"