East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-05-14

Of Germany with the utmost earnest
ness 70 the fact that the obiecior 10
their present methods Of attack
against the trade Of their enemies lies
IN the practical impossibility Of em-
ploying submarines IN the destruction
OF commerce without disreRarding
these rules Of fairness. reason, Justice
and humanity, which all modern opin
ion regards as imperative. It is prac-
tically impossible for the Officers OF
a submarine to visit a merchartman
at sea and examine her papers and
cargo. II is practically impossible for
them to make prize OF her, and, II
they can not put a prize crew on
without leaving her crew and all on
board OF her to the mercy Of the sea
in her small boats. These facts, 1t Is
understood, the imperial German
government frankly admits. We are
informed 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 as a
warning was received. Manifestly
submarines can not be used against
merchantmen, as the last few weeks
have shown. without an inevitable Vi
olation OF many sacred principles Of
justice and humanity.
Americans within Their Rlgts.
American citizens act within their
indisputable rights in taking their
ships and in travelling wherever their
legitimate business calls them upon
the high seas, and exercises those
rights in what should be the well JUS
titled confidence that their lives will
not be endangered by acts done in
clear violation Of universally accept
ed International obligation and GER
tainly 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.
I
German embassy at Washington, ad-
dressed to the people Of the United
/ States, and stating in effect, that any
Z citizen of the United Staes who exer-
cised his right Of free travel upon the
seas would do so at his peril il his
journey should take him within the
zone of waters within which the inn
4 perial German navy was using subma-
4 rines against the commerce of Great
Britain and France, notwithstanding
the respectful but very earnest protest
of his government, the government of
the United States.
Warning Not Sufficient Excuse.
Il do not refer to this for the pur-
pose Of calling the attention OF the
imperial government at this time to
the surprising irregularity OF a COM
munication from the imperial German
embassy at Washington addressed to
the people Of the United States
through the newspapers, but only for
the purpose of pointing out that no
warning that an unlawful and h.hu-
name attempt would be committed
; can possibly be accepted as an ex-
cue or palliation for that act or as
an abatement Of the responsibility for
its commission.
Long acquainted as this govern
ment has been with the character OF
the imperial German government and
with the high principles of equity by
,,
tuated and guided, the government OF
the United States can not believe that
the commanders of the vessels which
committed these acts of lawleSsness
did so except under a misapprehen-
sion of the orders issued by the Ger
man naval authorities 1t takes il
for granted that. at least within the
/ practical possibilities of every such
case, the commanders even of sub
marines were expected to do nothing
that would involve the lives Of nom
combatants or the safety of neutral
ships, even at the cost Of failing OF
: their object Of capture or destruction
1t confidently expects, therefore, that
the imperial German government will
disavow the acts Of which the gov
ernment of the United States COM
, plains, that they will make repara-
ton as far as reparation is possible
for injuries which are without meas
ure, and that they will take immedi-
ate steps to prevent the recurrence OF
anything so. obviously subserviye OF
principles of warfare for which the
imperial German government has IN
the past SC, wisely and so firmly con-
tended.