New Britain herald., 1915-05-14
NEXT STEP OF J. s.
 DEPENDS ON GERMANS
(Continued from First Page.)
Rights of n-Combatants.

regard to the sacred freedom of the 1 seas. Rights of Non- -Combatants. l The government of the United l States has been5apprised that the inn perial German government considered 1 themselves to be obliged by the ex- traordinary circumstances of the pres ent war and the measures adopted by their adrcrsaries in seeking to cut 1 Germany off from all commerce, to adopt methods of retaliation which go much beyond the ordinary methods
 of warfare at sea, in the proclamation of a war zone from which they have warned neutral ships to keep away. This government has already taken occasion to inform the imperial Ger
 man government that it can not ad-
 init the adoption of such measures or such warning of danger to operate
 as in any degree on abbrcyiation of
 the rights of American shipmasters or
 of American citizens bound on lawful
 errands as passengers on mercnant
 ships of belligerent nationality; and
 that it must hold the imperial Ger
 man government to a strict accounta-
 biiity for any infringement of those
 rights, intentional or incidental. It
 does not understand the imperial Ger
 man government to question those
 rights. It assumes on the contrary, that the imperial government accept, as of course, the rule that the lives of
 non- -combatants, whether they be of neutral citizenship or citizens of one
 of the nations of war, can not lawfully
 or rightfully be put in jeopardy by
 the capture or restrictions. of un-
 J ,oI,., also, as all other nations. do, the obli- gation to take the usual precaution of visit and search to ascertain whether a suspected merchantmen is in fact of belligerent nationality or is in fact carrying contraband of war under a neutral flag.
 Relative to Submarines.
 '.The government of the United States. therefore. desires to call the attention of the imperial German gov- ernment with the utmost earnestness to the fact that the objection to their present method of attack against the trade of their enemies lies in the practical impossibility of employ ing submarines in the destruction of commerce without disregarding those rules of fairness, reason, justice and humanity, which all modern opin- ion regards as imperative. It is prac- tically impossible for the officers of submarine to visit a merchantmen at sea and examine her papers and car go. It is practically impossible for them to make prize of her, and if they can not put a prize crew on board of her they can not sink her without leaving her crew and all on t1nf ff.ss 1,r,, small boats. These facts it is under stood the imperial German govern ment frankly admit We are informed that in the instances of-which we have spoken time enough for reven 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, with 1 out an inevitable violation of many | sacred principles of justice and hu- s. le !
 Americans Within Rights.
 American citizens act within their I lndisputable rights in taking their | ships and in travelling wherever their | legitimate business calls them upon the high seas, and exercise those | rights in what should be the we'll | justified confidence that their lives 1, will not be endangered by acts done in clear violation of universally acc anoWledged international obligations. and certainly in the confidence that heir own government will sustain hem in the exercise of their rights.
 There was recently published in the newspapers of the United States. regret to infrom the imperial Ger man government, a formal warning ourporting to come from the imperial German embassy at Washington, ad- dressed to the people of the United l states. and stating, in effect, that any citizen of the United States who ex- srcized his right of free travel upon 1 he seas would do so at his peril if his tourney should take him within the :one of waters within which the inn oer1al German navy was using sllb- marines against the commerce Of l Ireat Britain and France, notwith standing the respectful but very ear lest protest of his government, the 4 government of the Unitd States.
 Warning No Excuse.
 1T do not refer to this for the pur- ,ose of calling the attention of tho German governm ent at this iIne to the surprising irregularity of ( communication from the imperial ] f Herman embassy at Washington ad- I lressed to the people of the United 1 z 'tates through the newspaprs, but f 'nly for the purpose of pointing out | hat no warning that an unlawful and l ' nhuman act will be committed can ' possibly be accepted as an excuse or f 'alliation for that act or as an abate- nent of the responsibility for it's commission.