The Washington times., 1915-05-10
Germany's Submarines to Sink
Ships Without Warning, As
serts Emperor's Envoy.
AMERICANS WILL BE SAFE
Must Travel on Neutral Craft,
Free of Contraband, Though,
He Says.

NEW YORK. May 10.-Dr. BERNARD
Dernburg. the Kaiser's personal repre-,
sentative in this country. announces
that German submarines will continued
to sink merchant vessels without warm
ing.
After returning from Cleveland. where
he attempted to justify the sinking OF
the Lusitania, Dernburg gave out an In
terview in the Hotel Ritz-Carlton. say
ing that 1t will be impossible to give
women. children and other non-comba-
tants q chance. to escape before the
ships are torpedoed
The warnings inserted by the German
embassy in the shipping columns of
newspapers, he said. will be considered
the equivalent of a signal to the captain
OF every merchant vessel belonging to
Great Britain or her allies that his ship
is to be sunk
Americans will be safe. stated the
kaiser's mouthpiece. only II they con-
me their travel to American vessels
carrying no contraband Ships Of this
country carrying contraband, he said.
VIII be torpedoed exactly as those of
England, with the exception that an at
tempt will be made to give a warning
IN time for the crew and passengers to
escape.
Defends Use of Submarines.
submarines" said Dernburg. are
recognized by every nation as a weapon
OF warfare. England is building them
In her own yards as well as at Fore
River Your country has them.
similarly. country's rights IN war
fare over merchant ships carrying con-
taband are well recognized. For hun
dreds OF years it has been the usage
or war that vessels carrying contra
hn atD II
seized and destroyed If they could NO.
be taken back to port.
The only question is the safety of
the non-combatan aboard. 1t has been
the custom to let the innocent people
get or. But England has declared the
modern weapons--the airship and sub
martne-do not permit Of the old rules
Of warfare. and she has established a
long distance blockade.
NOW, submarine is very small
vessel. only about $50 feet long, and
with a crew Of only about twenty-four.
It has small! accommodations on board
vessel. If she attempted to warn a
merchant ship before sinking her It
would be easy for the merchantmen to
run her down. Or she could put on full
the Lusitania would have escaped in
that way II she had been warned?
Impossible To Give Warning.
so, you sec, it Is a physical i'm
possibility for submarine to give A
warning to a merchant ship before
sinking her.
Instead of giving a special warning
to the Lusitania. Germany therefore is
sued specific general notice before she
sailed. That was the only thing that
could be done. Care was taken to see
that the warnings appeared alongside
the advertisements of the Cunard line.
How can Americans be safe? BY
travelling only on American ships flying
the American flag and not carrying con-
traband Of war. Then they will be per-
fectly safe.
.'Of course, there is the danger Of
the employment of the American flag
by beligerent vessels. But | think that
has been stopped by President Wilson's
Of neutral ships. all of which viii be
safe. on the condition they do not carry
contraband Of war"
While 1t would be ~oeyond tact" for
him to mix In the relations with the
American Government Dernburg said.
he suggested that every ship be re-
ouired to announce what cargo she will
carry before she sails for the war zone.
and that this announcement be pub
lished.
Legal To Commit Suicide.
Then he said. every one would
know what risks they took or avoided.
OF course. after that. If they wanted to
rtsk their lives. as every one undoubt-
edly has right to. there would be no
right to prevent them. Every one has
a right to commit suicide
''Sut II 1t had been known and pub
lished that the Lusitania vas an aux
iliafy cruiser, carrying a large amount
Of contraband Of war, do not believe
one American would have taken pas
sR2e,'
Bernburg said he wished to express
regret over the sinking Of the Lusi-
tsn!s-
But" he added. she was CARRYING
more than 5000 cases OF war material.
Had they been delivered. I am sure
they would have resulted in the destruc-
tion Of many more mothers sons than
were destroyed.
president Wilson asked II Germany
would stop the submarine warfare IL
England would permit food to enter
Germany. But England would not agree
to this. She was determined to starNe
out the entire population Of l20,C0o. 900