The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-07-15

German population from reaching Ger
many via neutral ports. Since March
l England has been taking from neutral
ships, without further formality, all
merchandise proceeding to Germany,
as well as all merchandise coming
from Germany, even when neutral
property. Just as it was also with the
Beers, the German people is now to
be given the choice of perishing from
starvation, with it's women and chill
dren, or of relinquishing it's independ-
ence.
While our enemies thus loudly and
openly proclaimed war without mercy
until our utter destruction, we were
conducting a war of self-defense for
our existence and for the sake of peace
of an assured permanency. We have
been obliged to adopt a submarine
warfare to meet the declared inten-
tions of our enemies and the method
Of warfare adopted by them in contra
vention of international law.
with all it's efforts in principle to
protect neutral life and property from
damage as much as possible, the Ger
man Government recognized unreserV-
edly, in it's memorandum of February
4, that the interests of neutrals might
suffer from the submarine warfare.
However, the American Government
will also understand and appreciate
that in the fight for existence which
has been forced upon Germany by its
adversaries and announced by them
it is the sacred duty of the Imperial
Government to do all within it's power
to protect and save the lives of Ger
man subjects. If the Imperial Gov
ernment we're derelict in these duties
it would be guilty before God and his
tory of the violation of those princi-
pies of highest humanity which are
the foundation of every national eX-
| istence.
"The case of the Lusitania shows
with horrible clearness to what ieop-
ardizing Of human lives the manner
of conducting war employed by our
adversaries leads. In the most direct
contradiction of international law, all
distinctions between merchantmen and
war vessels have been obliterated by
the order of the British merchantmen
to arm themselves and to ram subma-
rines, and the promise of rewards
therefor, and neutrals who use mer-
chantmen as travellers thereby have
been exposed in an increasing degree
to all the dangers of war.
eff the commander of the German
submarine which destroyed the Lusi-
tania had caused the crew and pas,
firing a torpedo this would have meant
the sure destruction of his own YES
sci. After the experiences in sinking
much smaller and less seaworthy ves-
sells, it was to be expected that a
mighty ship like the Lusitania would
remain above water long enough, even
after the torpedOing, to permit pas
sengers to enter the ships boats. Cir
cumstances of very peculiar kind,
especially the presence on board of
large quantities of highly explosive
materials defeated this expectation.
In addition, it may be pointed out that
if the Lusitania had been spared thou
sands of cases Of munitions would
have been sent to Germany's enemies,
and thereby thousands of German
! mothers and children robbed of bread.
winners.
"In the spirit of friendship, where
with the German nation has been i'm
bued toward the Union and it's inhab.
itants since the earliest days of it's ex.
istence, the Imperial Government will
always be ready to do all it can dur.
ing the present war also to prevent
the jeopardizing the lives of American
citizens. The Imperial Government
therefore, repeats the assurance that
American ships will not be hindered
in the prosecution of legitimate ship.
ping, and the American citizens in
neutral vessels shall not be placed in
jeopardy.
"In order to exclude any unforeseen
dangers to American passenger steam
ers, made possible in view of the con
duct of maritime war by Germany's
adversaries, German submarines will
| he instructed to permit the free and