Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-07-30

warfare. The whole world has looked
with interest and increasing satisfac.
ton at the demonstration of that pos.
sibility by German naval command
ers. 1t is manifestly possible, there.
fore, to lift the whole practice of sub
marine attack above the criticism
which it has aroused and remove the
chief causes Of offense.
Germany Admits illegal Acts.
In view of the admission of H.
legality made by the imperial German
government when it pleaded the right
Of retaliation in defense of it's acts
and in view of the manifest possibil.
ity of conforming to the established
rules of naval warfare, the govern
ment of the United States cannot be-
lieve that the imperial German gov
eminent will longer refrain from dis
avowing the wanton act Of its naval
commander in sinking the Lusitania
or from offering reparation for the
American lives lost, so far as repara-
ton can be made for needless de.
struction of human life by an illegal
act.
U. s. Cannot Accept Suggestion.
The government of the United
States, while not Indifferent to the
friendly spirit in which it is made.
cannot accept the suggestion of the
imperial German government that
certain vessels be designated and
agreed upon which shall be free on
the seas now illegally prescribed.
The very agreement would, Dy impli.
cation, subject other vessels to IL
legal attack and would be a curtail-
ment, and therefore an abandonment,
of the principles for which this gov
eminent contends. and which in calm
er counsels every nation would con.
cede as Of course.
Contends for Freedom at Any Cost.
The government of the United
States and the imperial German gov.
eminent are contending for the same
great object; have long stood to-
gether in urging the very principles
upon which the government of the
United States now so solemnly in
sists. They are both contending for
the freedom of the seas. The govern
ment Of the United States will con-
tinue to contend for that freedom,
from whatever quarter violated. with.
out compromise and at any cost. 1t
invites the practical cooperation Of
the imperial German government at
this time when cooperation may &C
complish most and this great common
object be most strikingly and effec-
lively achieved.
Object Can Be Attained.
The imperial German government
expresses the hope that this object
may be in some measure accomplish
ed even before the present war ends.
It can be. The government Of the
United States not only feels obliged
to insist upon 1t, by whomsoever vio-
lated or ignored. in the protection Of
its own citizens, but is also deeply
interested in seeing it made practic.
able between the belligerents them
selves and holds itself ready at any
LlIu0 TO ACT d8 Lu0 COmuOu 1rl0uO
who may be privileged to suggest
way.
AZ deliberately UnfriendIy" Act.
In the meantime the very value
| which this government sets upon the
long and unbroken friendship be-
tween the people and government Of
the United States and the people and
government of the German nation
inpes it to press very solemnly upon
the imperial German government the
necessity for a scrupulous observ.
ance of neutral rights in this critical
matter.
Friendship itself prompts it to say
to the imperial German government
that repetition by the commanders Of
German naval vessels of acts in con.
travention Of those rights must be
regarded by the government of the
United States, when they affect
American citizens, as deliberately un.
| friendly.