The Yale expositor., 1915-06-17

to their death in circumstances un-
paralleled in modern warfare.
1.-THE government OF the United
States is contending for something
much greater than mere rights of
property or privileges of commerce
Ii is contending for nothing less high
and sacred than the rights OF human
| ity which every government honors
itself in respecting and which no gov
eminent is justified in resigning on
behalf of those under its care and
authority.
"Only her actual resistance TO cap.
ture or refusal to stop when ordered
to do so for the purpose of visit
would have afforded the commander
OF the submarine any justification for
so much as putting the lives Of those
on board the ship in jeopardy.
This principle the government Of
the United States understands the eX-
plicit instructions issued oG August
3, 1914, by the imperial German ad-
miralty TO its commander at sea to
have recognized and embodied, as do
the naval codes OF all other nations.
and upon 1t every traveller and sea-
man had right to depend. 1t is upon
this principle of humanity as well as
upon law founded upon this principle
that the United States must stand"
Would Act AS Peaeemaker.
THE government of the United
States is happy to observe that your
excellency's note closes with the in
timation that the imperial German
government is willing, now as before,
to accept the good offices of the Uni
ted States in an attempt to come to
an understanding with the government
of Great Britain by which the charac-
ter and conditions of the war upon the
sea may be changed. The government
GO the United States would consider it
privilege thus TO serve its friends
and the world. 1t stands ready at
any time to convey to either govern
ment any intimation or suggestion the
other may be willing TO have ii con-
vey and cordially invites the imperial
German government to make use of
its services in this way at its conven-
fence. The whole world is concerned
in anything that may bring about
even partial accommodation of in
terests to in any way mitigate the ter
rors Of the present distressing con-
fiict."
Position On War Zone Repeated.
"The government of the United
States cannot admit that the procla-
nation OF war zone from which
neutral ships have been warned TO
keep away may be made to operate
as in any degree an abbreviation OF
the rights either of American ship
masters or of American citizens bound
on lawful errands as passengers on
merchant ships of belligerent nation
atty. IL does not understand the i'm
perial German government to ques-
ton those rights. 1t understands IT,
also, to accept as established beyon@
question the principle that the lives
OF non-combatants cannot lawfully or
rightfull be put in jeopardy by the
capture or destruction of an unresist-
ing merchantmen, and to recognize
the obligation TO take sufficient pre-
caution TO ascertain whether a sus-
pected merchantmen is in fact of bel
ligerent nationality, or is in fact carry
ing contraband of war under a neutral
flag.
THE government of the United
States therefore deems it reasonable
to expect that the imperial German
government will adopt the measures
necessary to put these principles into
practice in respect of the safeguarding
OF American lives and American
this will be done"
ROBERT LANSING,
Secretary of State, ad Interim.