South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-12

mize the earnestness Of the presidents
/ statement. that would be Unfair. both
\ 10 him and 10 Germany. The sinking
/ Of the Lusitania cannot be defended
/ upon the facts as We understand them.
/ The killing Of innocent women and
| children cannot be justified, whether
/ the killing is by drowning or starving
no nation can successfully plead the
! inhumanity Of her enemies as an eN-
/ cuse for inhumanity on her own part
/ While it is true that cruelty Is apt 10
| beget cruelty. il cannot be said that
| like cures like
EVEN in war we are not absolved
/ from the obligation 10 remedy evils
/ by the influence Of a good example.
! Let your light so shine is precept
\ that knows no times or seasons as II
! knows neither latitude nor Longitude.
Cases Are Different.
/ "Third-Do not attempt 10 connect
the negotiations which are going on
between the United states and Ger
many with those between the United
i States and Great Britain. The cases
are different, but even IL they were
\ the same It would be necessary to
treat with each nation separately.
/ Ny personal preference has been TO
/ repeat our insistence that the allies
\ shall not interfere with our COM
merce with neutral countries. but the
/ difference on this point was matter
/ Of judgment and not matter Of prin-
| ciple In the note TO Great Britain
dated March 30 this government said:
In view of these advices formally
given 10 this government il is conf
IDENTIFY expacted that the extensive
powers conferred by the order in coun-
| ell on the executive officers of the
crown would be restricted by orders
issued by the government directing
the exercise Of their discretionary pow
ers in such manner as TO. modify in
practical application those provisions
of the order in council which, if strict
| ~ enforced would violate neutral
rights and interrupt legitimate trade.
relying on the faithful performance
of these voluntary assurances by his
maiesty's government. the United
States takes it for granted that the
approach of American merchantmen
10 neutral ports situated upon the
long line of coast affected by the order
in council will not be interfered with
when il is known that they do not
carry goods which are cOntraband
of war or goods destined to or pro-
ceeding from ports within belligerent
territory affected.
There is no doubt that our gov
eminent will insist upon this posi-
ton; that is an important thing, the
exact date of the note is not material.
Ny reason for desiring TO have the
matter presented to Great Britain AT
once was not that Germany had any
right TO ask it. but because / was
anxious to make IL as easy as possible
TO Germany to accept demands of the
United States and cease to employ sub
marines against merchantmen. There
is no reason WIN any German-Amer-
leans should dOubr the presidents
intentions in this matter. I am sure
that everyone will. on reflection, rec
- MT
of life is more urgent than our duty TO
prevent interference with trade-loss
of trade can ne COMPENSATED for with
money. but no settlement that the
United States and Germany may
reach can call back to life those who
went down with the Lusitania-war
would be the most expensive of all
settlements. because it would enOr-
mously add to the number of dead.
Can Trust United States.
"Fourth-I believe that Germany
will acquiesce in the demands that
have been made. and hope that she
will acquiesce in them without condi-
tons. She can trust the Enlteo
States to deal justly with her in the
consideration of any changes she may
propose I'm the interest Of the rules
that govern the taking of prizes. The
more generously she acts in that mat
ter the greater will be the glory winch
she will derive from il. She has rails
ed a question which is now receiving
serious consideration. namely. wheth-
er the introduction of the submarine
necessitates any change in the rules
governing the capture of prizes. Inc
position. seemingly taken by Germany,
namely. that she Is entitled 10 drown
nOncOmbatants because they ride with
contraband. is an untenable position;
the most that she could insist upon is.
in view of the introduction of this
new weaDon i'm warfare. new rules
should be Notwithstanding pas
sengers from Objectionable cargo.
IF the use of the submarine justi- |
fies such 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. !
Slight Change Needed.
cit would require but a slight !
change in the shipping laws to make
this separation, and belligerent ma
tons might be restrained from I'M
necessarily increasing the contraband !
list If they were expected TO carry |
contraband on transports as they now
carr troops.
Personally 7 would like to see the |
use Of submarines abandoned entire |
lv. Just as / would like to see an aban- !
donment of the use of Zeppelins and |
aeroplanes for the carrying of eX- |
plosives, but / am not sanguine enough |
to believe that any effective instru- /
ment of warfare Will be abandoned as
long as war continues.
The very arguments which the /
advocates of peace advance against !
the submarines, the aeroplane and the |
Zeppelin are advanced in favor OF |
them by those who conduct war. /
The more fatal a weapon is the more |
il Is in demand and il Is not an unus- /
ual thing TO see a new instrument OF 4
destruction denounced as inhuman by |
those against whom il is employed. /
only TO be employed later by those |
who. only a little while before, de-
nounced it.
Paid United States Compliment.
The above suggestions are re-
spectfully submitted 10 those of Ger
man birth or descent and they are
submitted in the same spirit to nat
uralized citizens from other countries.