The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-05-14

In seeking to cut Germany OIL IRON al
commerce, to adopt methods OF retalla'
tion which go much beyond the ordinary
methods of warfare Mt sea, IN the proc
lamation of a war zone from which they
have warned neutral ships to keep fyway
| This government has already taken oc.
casion to inform the imperial German
government that it cannot admit the
adoption of such measures or such a
warning of danger to operate as IN any
! degree an abbreviation OF the rights OF
| American ship masters or OF American
citizens bound on lawful errands as pas
sengers on merchant ships of belligerent
nationality; and that it must hold the
| imperial German government to strict
accountability for any infringement OF
those rights. intentional or incidental,
II does not understand the imperial Ger
man government to question those
rights. 1t 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 ma
tions at war. cannot lawfully or right
fully be put in jeopardy by the cap
ture or destruction of an nnarmcd mer-
chantman and recognize also, as all 9TH
er nations do, the obligations to take
the usual precaution Of visit and search
to ascertain whether Il suspected mer-
chairman is in fact of belligerent ma
tionality or is in fact carrying contra
band of war under a neutral flag.
"The government of the United States,
therefore, desires to call the attention
OF the imperial German government 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 EN-
ploying submarines in the destruction Of
commerce without disregarding those
rules of fairness, reason, justice and hui
manity, which all modern opinion re-
CARDS as imperative. 1t is practically
impossible for the officers of submarine
to visit a merchantmen at sea and ex
anime her papers and cargo. II il prac
tically impossible for them to make a
prize of her and, if they cannot put a |
prize crew on board of her. they cannot |
sink her without leaving her crew and |
all on board of her to the mercy OF sea |
in her small boats. These facts 1t il /
understood the imperial German govern I
ment 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 warning was received.
Manifestly submarines cannot be used
against merchantmen, as the last few
weeks have shown, without an inevitable
of many sacred principles of
Justice and humanity.
american citizens act within their in
iisputable rights in taking their ships
ind travelling wherever their legitimate
business calls them upon the high seas,
md exercise those rights in what should
De the we'll justified confidence that their
ives will not be endangered by acts
lone In clear violation of universally
international obligations
md certainly In the confidence that their
'wn government will sustain them in the
xercise Of their rights.
That German Warning. I
"There was recently published in the
ewspapers of the United States, I re- !
ret to inform the imperial government.
formal warning purporting TO come
rom the imperial German embassy at
addressed to the people of J
he United States, and stating in effect,
hat any citizen of the United States
rho exercised his right of free travel
pom the high seas would do so at his 4
eril If his journey should take him
Tthin the rome of waters within which "
he imperial German navy was using
ubmarines against the commerce OF
reat Britain and France, notwithstand.
lg the respectful but very earnest pro-
sst of this government, the government
the United States. do not refer TO '
bis for the purpose Of calling the at
sntion Of the imperial German govern
lent at this time to the surprising ir-
agularity of a communication from the
nperial German embassy al Washington n
70 the people OF the United P
tates through the newspapers, but only y
,r the purpose of pointing out that no
'srning that any unlawful and inhu.
sne act viii be committed can possibly 2
. accepted as an excuse or palliation Z
" that act or as an abatement of the
for its commission.
Long acquainted ss this government y
10 been with the character Of the I'm. u
srial government and with The high w
-inciples of equity by which they have I
the past been sctuated and guided.
10 government OF the United States
'unot believe that the commanders Of y
ie vessels which committed these acts y
kwisssness did 40 ercept under q m
les pprehension Of the orders Issued bv
y imperial German naval authorities. n
takes II for granted that, at least y
thin the practical possibilities Of every u
IeA csse, the commanders even OF sub. ~
ariDss we're expected to do nothing u
at would involve the lives of non-com.
tsnts OF the safety of neutral ships. fr
en- at the cost Of falling Of their Oh. q
q Of capture or destruction. II con- ~
emily expects, therefore, that the in. q
rial German government will disavow ~
. acts Of which the government Of ths "a
1itsd States complains, that they will 90
axe rspsration 40 far as repsratisu Is n
sable fer injuries which are without
sasurs. and that they viii tsks innnae- q,
sts steps 20 prevent the recurrence - -
ythine 70 obviously subwsFsivs of toe
20 wawFaNa g. wt4aL -. -