The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-07-09
THE HAWAIIAN GAZEFRFFf77F
RoDU NTN EDITOR 'EIR "Ey soS sS. ADVERTISERS SaW7
Irreconcildble Vie,Ds
FRIDAY MORNING,
JULY 9, 1915.

THE differences between the attitude taken by
the United States in the matter of the sink
ing OF unarmsd MERCHANT ships, BY submarines
without giving The veSsels warming Of attack, and
the attitude taken by Germany as outlined in the
various sentiments published, are such that they
cannot be reconciled. Either one nation or the
other must back dowt1and tecede from its position
The German contention is that it is not feasible
for the commander of submarine to stop steam
ship for purpose of search order that the pas
sengers may leave safely in the small boats. But
while these steamships are carrying munitions and
supplies to Germanys enemies, they must not be
allowed to reach port with their cargoes if any
way to prevent is found. The only way Germany
has to prevent the delivery of such cargoes is
through the employment of submarines There
fore in view of Germany's necessity, the ships
must be sunk unwarned, and if passengers kill
ed through the explosion drowned through the
sinking Of the ship, that must also be. 1t is a
regrettable incident
The American contention is that the rules oil
war at sea must be as they are and not Ger
many would have them, and that the rules, sub
scribed to by Germany, specify that the lives OF
passengers and members of crews unarmed
merchant ships must be held sacred. The right
to stop merchant ship is conceded to Germany
the right to sink merchant ship flying the flag OF
a begerent is conceded to Germany. But the
right to sink ship without first seeing that pas
sengers and crew are safe is denied, and when the
lives of Americans are lost through the violations
of the recognized rules of war, the United States
has declared that she will hold the guilty nation
to a full responsibility.
1t makes no difference to the United States
whether Germany has or has not any means avail
able for the blockading Of the British ports other
than her submarines. II makes difference to
the United States whether the use of submarines
against merchant ships is or is not effective. The
United States says it must stop insofar as it men,
aces American life, while the right of Americans
to travel on the high seas on any merchant ship
any lawful errand must not be abridged because
Of German necessity.
At the present time, the German press is stating
that the U-29 with Captain Weddigen who com
manded the U-9 when it sank the Greasy, AbOukir
and the Hogue, was rammed and sunk by mer-
chant ship, the announcement coming in positive
terms from, the German admiralty. The British
admiralty as positively denies this, but, naturally
Germany believes its own officials and is pointing
TO this to show the impossibilty, from the
German standpoint, of agreeing to the American
demand that submarines should warn before shoot
ing
The U29 incident Shows plainly" says the
KrcuZ Leltung, in a recent article, discussing the
American note, what meaning Americas demanC
has that submarines should not torpedo ever
enemy merchantmen without first hating anC
searching them 1t would be complete surrender
of the advantages due to the technical superort,
OF German submarines, and that is not possible
1--WE have all due respect for Americas bushes,
interests, but must reserve the right to try tc
keep American ammunition from our enemie,
without scrupe, and with all the means at uu
disposal and to cause every conceivable dama"c t.
Great Britain in the war Of destruction which i
forced upon us.
"Therefore the American demand to render in
effective our submarine against every ,hll
carrying American passengers is for wholly i'm
possible
Count RcNentOW, the naval critic on the sam,
day, in a leading article says
1t is moral duty to extract every possible ud
vantage from the submarine weapon. Germany can
not let this weapon be shut up in a cage whose
bars are formed by threatening notes from the
ted States and by international regulations
Now is the time for Germany to inform the world
clearly and sharply that it will not let limits
restrictions be drawn by other Powers govern the
manner of using its submarines.
America is arguing from the standpoint OF recug
nized international law and "the law of human
hy," while Germany is arguing from the stand
point of national necessity These are irreconcil
able One or the other must give way, and, iudg
ing from the sem-Oficial statements made u
Tuesday in Washington, following advance knowl
edge OF the German note, it will not be the Unitc
States.
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