The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-07-16

OOkA Va tA0 6S0S anu AOA 6AC QAOlOG~
ton of ~peaceable trade.
''In the international proceedings
which since have been conducted for
the regulation of the laws of maritime
war Germany and America have joint
ly advocated progressive principles,
especially the adjustment OF the right
Of capture at sea, and the protection
Of the interests Of neutrals.
Even at the beginning of the pres
ent war the German government i'm
mediately declared its willingness, in
response to proposals of the American
government, to ratify the declaration
Of London and thereby subject itself
in the use Of its naval forces to all
the restrictions provided therein in IA
for of neutrals. Germany likewise has
been always tenacious of the principle
that war should be conducted against
the armed and organized forces OF an
enemy country, but that h enemy
civilian population must be spared as
far as possible from the measures OF
war. The imperial government cher
ishes the definite hope h a some way
will be found when peace is concluded,
or perhaps earlier, to regulate the law
Of maritime war in a n guaran-
teeing the freedom of the seas, and
will welcome it with gratitude and sat
isfaction if it can work hand and hand
with the American government on that
occasion.
eff in the present war the principles
which should be the ideal Of the future
have been traversed more and more,
the longer its duration, the German
government has no guilt therein. 1t
is known to the American government
how Germany's adversaries, by com
pletely p~aralyzing ~peaceable traffic be.
tween Germany and neutral countries,
have aimed from the very beginning
and with increasing lack of considera-
ton at the destruction, not SO much
Of the armed forces as the life of
the German nation, repudiating in do
ing so all the rules of international
law and di~sregarding all rights of neu-
trails.
con November 3, 1914, England de-
clared the North Sea a war area, and
by planting poorly anchored mines and
by the stoppage and capture of yes
sells made passage extremely danger
u and difficult for neutral shipping,
thereby actually blockading neutral
coasts and ports contrary to all inter.
national law. Long before the begin
ming OF submarine war England prac-
tically completely Intercepted legiti
mate neutral navigation to Germany
also. Thus Germany was driven to a
submarine war on trade.
con November a., 1914, the English
premier declared in the House of Com.
mons Thai it was one of. England's
principal tasks to prevent food for the
German population from reaching Ger
many via neutral ports. Since March
l England has been taking from neu
trail ships without further formality
all merchandise. proceeding to Ger
many, as well as merchandise coming
from Germany, even when neutral
property. just as it was also with the
Beers, the German people is now to
be given the choice of perishing from
starvation with it's women and chill.
dren, or Of r~elinqufshing its independ.
ence.
while our enemies thu loudly and
openly proclaimed without mercy our
utter destruction. we were CONDUCTING
a war in self-defense for our national
existence and for the sake of peace O.
an assured permanency. We have been
obliged to adopt a submarine warfare
to meet the declared intentions of ou1
enemies and the methods of warfare
adopted by them in contravention oil
international law.
with all its efforts in principle to
protect neutral life and property from
damage as much as possible, the Ger
man government recognized unresev
edly in its memorandum of February
4 that the interests, Of neutrals might
suffer from the submarine warfare
However, the American government
will also understand and appreciate
that in the fight for existence which
has beer forced upon Germany by its
adversaries and announced by them i,
Is the sacred duty of the imperial gov
eminent to do all within it's power te
protect and save the lives If German
subjects. If the imperial government
were derelict in these things, it's du
ties, 1t would be guilty before God and
history of the violation of these prin
ciples OF highest humanity which. are
the foundation of every national ex
istence.
1.-THE case of the Lusftania shows
with horrible clearness to what leon
ardizing of human lives the manner O,
conducting war employed by our ad
versaries leads In the most direc,
contradiction Of international law, al
distinctions between merchantmen
and war vessels have been o~bliterate6
by the order to British merchantmen
to arm themselves and to ram subma
rines,s and the promise Of reward:
therefor, and neutrals who use mer
chantmen as travellers thereby have
been exposed in an increasing degree
to all the dangers Of war.
"If the commander of the German
submarine which destroyed the Lusi
tania had caused the crew and passen
gers to take boats before firing a tor
pedo this would have meant the SURE
destruction of his own vessel. Aftel
the experiences in sinking much small