Arizona republican., 1915-05-14

| " hich eliminated in the torpedoing and
sinking Of the British steamship I.usi-
tania on May :, by which over 100
American citizens lost their lives, it is
clearly wise and desirable that the
government OF the United States and
! the imperial German government
should come to 4 clear and full under
standing IS to the grave situation
which has resulted.
The sinking Of the British passen-
ser steamer Falaba by n German sub
marine on March %. through which
Leon Thresher. an American citizen
was drowned: the attack on April %
ON the American vessel Gushing by a
German aeroplane; the torpedoing on
May of the American vessel Gulflight
by German submarine. as a result of
which two or more American citizens
met their death: and finally. the tor
pedoing and sinking Of the steamship
Lusltania, constitute Il series of events
which the government of the United
States has observed with growing con-
Germ. distress and amazement
Recalling the humane and enlight-
ened attitude hitherto assumed by the
imperial German government in mat =
ters of International right, particularly
with regard TO the freedom of the
seas; having learned to recognize the
German views and German influence in
the field of international obligations as
always engaged upon the side of jus
tice and humanity: having understood
the instructions of the imperial Ger
man government to naval commanders
to be upon the same plane of human
action prescribed by the naval codes of
other nations, the government of the
United States is 10th to believe, and
cannot no5v bring itself to believe. that
these acts. go absolutely contrary to
the rules. practices and spirit Of mod
ern warfare. could have been counten-
anced or sanctioned by that great gov
ernmeut II feels it to be its duty.
therefore. 10 address the imperial Ger
man government concerning them with
utmost frankness. in the earnest hope
that il is not mistaken in expecting
action on the part of the imperial Ger
man government which will correct the
unfortunate impressions created and
vindicate once more the position OF
that government with regard to the
sacred freeCom of the seas
The government of the United
States has been apprised that the i'm
perial German government considered
themselves obliged by extraordinary
circumstances of the present war and
the measures adopted by the adversar-
les in seeking to cut Germany off from
all commerce to adopt methods of re-
taliation which viii go much beyond
the ordinary methods Of warfare of the
warfare OF the sea, in the proclamation
of 4 war zone from which they have
warned neutral ships to keep away.
This government has already taken oc-
casion to inform the imperial German
government that il cannot admit the
adoption Of such mea Sures or such
warning of danger to operate in any
degree as an abbreviatiOn of the rights
of American shipmasters or American
citizens bound on lawful errands as
passengers on merchant ships of bellig-
erent nationality; that it must hold the
imperial German government to strict
accountability for any infringement of
those rights. intentional or incidental
1t does not understand the imperial
German government to question those
rights. 1t assumes. on the contrary. the
imperial government will accept aE a
course ana rBle that the lives of non
whether they are neutral
a.-,nr 4