New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-12

would enormously add to the number
of the dead. -,
Fourth II hope that Germany will
acouiesce in the demands that have
been made, and ! hope she will &C
ouiesce in them without conditions. She
can trust the United States TO deal
Justly with her in the consideration
of any changes that she may propose
in the international rules that govern
the taking of prizes. The more gem
erously she acts in this matter the
greater will be the glory which she
will derive from it. She has raised
question which is now receiving serious
consideration, namely, whether the in
PRODUCTION of the submarine necessi
tates any change in the rules govern
ing the capture of prizes.
"The position seemingly taken by
Germany, namely, that she is entitled
to drown non-combatantS because they
ride with contraband, is an untenable
position. The most that she could in
sist upon is that in view of the in
PRODUCTION Of this new weapon of war
fare new rules should be adopted,
separating passengers from objection
able cargo.
Passengers of Contraband Ships.
"lf the use of the submarine justi-
fes such a change in the law of block
ade as will permit the Gordon TO be
withdrawn far enough from the shore
TO avoid the danger of submarine at
tack, may il not be found possible to
secure an international agreement by
which passengers will be excluded from
ships carrying contraband or. at least.
from those carrying ammunition? II
would require but slight change in
the shipping laws to make this separa-
ton, and belligerent nations might be
restrained from unnecessarily increas-
ing the contraband list if they were
compelled to carry contraband on
transports. as they now carry troops.
Personally, | would like to see the
use of submarines abandoned entirely,
just as | would like to see the aban-
donment of the use of aeroplanes and
Zeppelins for the carrying of explo-
sives, but ] am not sanguine enough to
believe that any effective instrument
Of warfare will be abandoned as long
as war continues. The very arguments
which the advocates of peace advance
against the submarine, the aeroplane
and the Zeppelin are advanced before
them by those who conduct war The
more fatal weapon is the more it is
in demand. and it is not an unusual
thing TO see new instrument of de-
struetion denounced as inhuman by
those against whom it is employed,
only TO be employed later by those who
only little while before denounced il.
The above suggestions are respect
fully submitted TO those of German
birth or descent, and they are submit
tea in the same spirit TO naturalized
citizens from other countries. To the
raturalized citizen this is the land of
adoption, but in one sense il may be
nearer TO him than il is TO us who are
native born; for those who come here
are citizens by voluntary choice, while
we are here by accident Of birth. They
may be said to have paid a higher COM
Iliment 10 the United States than we
who first saw the light under the Stars
and Stripes. But, more than that, il
is the land OF their children and their
children's children, no matter for what |
reason they crossed the ocean. They /
not only share with US the shaping of /
our nations destiny, but their de- |
ecendants have a part with ours in all /
the blessings which the present gen
Grafton can by wise and patriotic ac-
tion bequeath to the generations that
al, - follow"
With this statement Mr.. Bryan ex-
poets 10 end for the present his efforts
to lay before the public the situation
which caused him TO resign the port.
folio Of Secretary Of State.