Middletown transcript., 1915-06-19

ana sunk without so much as q chal-
lenge or swarning. and that men,
women and children were sent to their
death IN circumstances unparalleled In
modern warfare. The fact that more
than 100 American -citizens were
among those who perished made it the
duty Of the government Of the United
States to speak Of these things and
once more. with solemn emphasis, to
call the attention Of the Imperial Ger
man government to the grave RESPONSE
bility which the government Of the
United States conceives that it has in
Cured in this tragic occurrence and
to the ,indisputable principle upon
which that responsibility rests.
ON GROUND OF HUMANITY.
The government Of the United
States is contending for something
much greater than mere rights Of prop
erty or privileges of commerce-it is
contending for nothing less high and
sacred than the rights of humanity,
which every government honors itself
in respecting and which no govern
ment is justified in resigning on behalf
Of those under its care and authority.
Only her actual resistance to capture
or refusal to stop when ordered to do
SO for the purpose of visit could have
afforded the commander of the sub
marine any justification for SO much
as putting the lives Of those on board
the ship in jeopardy. This principle
the government of the United States
understands the explicit instructions
issued August 3, 1914, by the Imperial
German Admiralty to its commanders
at sea to have recognized and en-
bodied, as do the naval codes of all
other nations, and upon it every
traveller and seaman had a right to de-
pend. It is upon this principle of hui
manity as well as upon the law found
ed upon this principle that the United
States must stand.
"The government of the United
States is happy to observe that Your
Excellency's note closes with the in
timation that the Imperial German
Government is willing, now as before,
to accept the good Offices of the
United States in an attempt to come
to an understanding with the govern
meht Of Great Britain by which the
character and conditions of the war
upon the sea may be changed. The
government of the United States would
consider 1t privilege thus to serve
its friends and the world. 1t stands
ready at any time to convey to either
government any intimation or sugges-
tion the other may be willing to have
1t convey and cordially invites the I'M
perial German Government to make
use of its services in this way at it's
convenience. The whole world is con-
cerned in anything that may bring
about even a partial accommodation
of interests or in any way mitigate the
terrors Of the present distressing con-
fiict.
"In the meantime, whatever ar
rangements may happily be made be-
tween the parties to the war and what
ever may in the opinion Of the Inn
perial German Government have been
the provocation or the circumstantial
justification for the past acts of its
commanders at sea, the government of
the United States confidently looks to
see the justice and humanity of the
government of Germany vindicated in
all cases where Americans have been
wronged or their rights as neutrals in
vaded.
THE government Of the United
States, therefore, very earnestly and
very solemnly renews the original rep
resentation of its note transmitted to
the Imperial German Government on
the 18th Of May, and relies in these
representations upon the principles Of
humanity, the universally recognized
understandings of international law
and the ancient friendship of the Ger
man nation.
RIGHTS OF NEUTRALs.
"The government of the United
States cannot admit that the proclama-
ton of war zone from which neutral
ships have been warned to keep away
may be made to operate as in any de-
gree an abbreviation of the rights
either Of American shipmasters or Of
American citizens bound on lawful
errands as passengers on merchant
ships Of belligerent nationality. 1t
does not understand the Imperial Ger
man government to question those
rights. 1t understands it, also, TO &C.
cept as established beyond question
the principle that the lives of nom
combatants cannot lawfully or right
fully be put in jeopardy by the cap
ture or destruction Of an unresistinR
merchantmen, and to recognize the
obligation to take sufficient precaution
to ascertain whether a suspected mer-
chantman 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 deems 1t reasonable to ex-
pect that the Imperial German govern
ment will adopt the measures neces-
sary to put these principles into prac-
tice in respect to the safeguarding of
American lives and American ships.
and asks for assurances that this will
be done.
ROBERT LANSING,
Secretary of State ad interim"