The Washington times., 1915-07-13
OBSERVE OUR
VERY RIGHTS WHICH
BERLIN DISPUTES

Ever since the torpedoing of the
Lusitania, now more than two
months ago, the Won Tirpitz sub
marines have been observing toward
US the rules and laws of nations
which we insist Germany cannot vio-
late without committing against us
acts which are no less than war.
Ever since the dispatch of President
Wilson's note, now more than a
month ago, the Won Tirpitz subma-
rines have been observing toward
other powers, neutrals and belliger-
ents, the conventions of civilization
and the obligations of humanity.
The Won Mrpitz submarines in re-
cent weeks have not been attacking
any and every merchant ship they
might meet; they have been dis
eliminating carefully between en-
emy ships and neutral ships. The
Won Tirpitz submarines in recent
weeks have not been taking it for
granted that every vessel afloat-
no German and Austrian ships being
on the surface of the seas-was
loaded with contraband for the al
lies; they have been going to pains
to make sure of the nature of the
cargo carried. The Won Tirpitz sub
marines in recent weeks have not
been launching torpedoes without
warning against even enemy ships
crowded with passengers or manned
only with crews; they have been
calling upon the enemy ship to stop
and when it has done so they have,
before torpedoing the ship, given
those on board opportunity to get
away in the boats.
And therein is the astounding con-
tradiction between the Berlin for
eign office and the submarines them
selves.
We declare that the submarines
must not run amuck on the high
seas any more than battleship, a
cruiser, or a destroyer. The Berlin
foreign Office declares that they
may unless we accept certain limita-
tions of our rights to be laid down
by the German government. We
say that our legal rights cannot be
restricted by any government short
of it's power to do so by force of
arms. The Berlin foreign office says
that if we don't accept it's restric-
tions, enjoying, only by sufferance
of the German government, such de.
limited rights, we seek to deprive ii
of it's only means to wage effective
war! against it's enemies. We re-
fuse to admit that plea as a grounc
for depriving us of our rights anc
for otherwise wronging US; anc
there the matter hangs.
But meanwhile the submarines
themselves no longer do what the
Berlin foreign Office maintains they
may do until we accept those terms
The submarines do do what we say
they must do if Germany and thu
United States remain at peace.
Here, then, is a deadlock of de
bate between the Berlin foreign of
flee and the Washington State De
partment, but a harmony of actor
between the submarine and tn,
United States Government.
But the danger is that one of tn
submarines, in spite of their pres
ent good behavior, might run amucl
again, might torpedo another Lusi
tania without warning, might mur
der scores of American citizen
without mercy. If that should hap
pen, the German government, b,
the very stand of the Berlin foreigl
Office refusing to disavow sue
crimes, asserting it's self-decree
license to commit them, against bel
;ligerents, against us, against every
body-if that should happen, W
say, the German governments an
nobody else would be held irrevo
cably responsible; and as sure a
there is an American nation, wit
: it's citizens to defend and it's homo
to preserve, the people of the Unite
States would demand war agains
Germany and would not be denie
by President Wilson or by anybody
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