The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1915-05-20

1T is practically impossible for the
officers Of a submarine to visit mer-
chantmen at sea and examine her pa
per and cargo. It is practically i'm
possible for them to make prize of
her; and, if they cannot put prize
crew on board of her, they cannot
sink her without leaving her crew and
all on board of her to the mercy of
the sea in her small boats. These
facts it is understood the Imperial
German government frankly admit
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 cannot be used against
merchantmen, as the last few weeks
have shown, without an inevitable
violation of many sacred principles
of justice and humanity.
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 exercise those
rights in what should be the we'll
justified confidence that their lives
will not be endangered by acts done
in clear violation of universally ac-
knowledged international obligations,
and certainly 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,
/ regret to inform the Imperial Ger
man government, a formal warning.
purporting to come from the Imperial
German embassy at Washington ad-
dressed to the people of the United
States, and stating, in effect, that any
citizen of the United States who ex-
ercised his right of free travel upon
the seas would do so at his peril if
his Journey should take him within
the zone of waters within which the
Imperial German navy was using sub
marines against the commerce of
Great Britain and France, notwith-
standing the respectful protest of his
government, the government of the
United States.
Il do not refer to this for the pur-
pose of calling the attention OF the
Imperial German government at this
time to the surprising irregularity of
communication from the Imperial
German embassy at Washington ad-
dressed 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
inhumane act will be committed can
possibly be accepted as an excuse or
palliation for that act or as an abate-
ment 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
which they have in the past been act
uated and guided. the government of
the United States cannot 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 I'M
perial German government naval au-
thorities. 1t takes it for granted that.
at least within the practical possibili-
ties of every such case, the comman-
ders even of submarines were expect
ed to do nothing that would involve
the lives of non-combatants or the
safety OF neutral ships, even at the
cost OF failing of their object of cap
ture or destruction.
1T confidently expects. therefore.
that the Imperial German government
will disavow the acts of which the
government of the United States COM
plains, that they will make repara-
ton so far as reparation is possible
for injuries which are without meas
ure, and that they will take imme-
date steps to prevent the recurrence
OF anything so obviously subversive of
the principles of warfare for which
the Imperial German government have
in the past so wisely and so firmly
commended
Ihe government and people OF the
United States look to the Imperial
German government for just, prompt
and enlightened action in this vital
matter with the greater confidence be-
cause the United States and Germany
are bound together not only by spe-
cial ties of friendship, but also by the
explicit stipulations of the treaty of
1923 between the United States and
the Kingdom OF Prussia
Expressions of regret and offers
of reparation in case of the destruc-
ton OF neutral ships sunk by mistake,
while they may satisfy international
obligations II no loss of life results,
cannot justify or excuse a practice,
the natural and necessary effect of
which is to subject neutral nations
and neutral persons to new and i'm
measurable risks.
The Imperial government will not
expect the government of the United
States to omit any word or any act
30. hA a.