The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-05-19

ate as In any degree an abrogation of !
tho rights of American shipmasters |
or of American citizens bound on law
full errands as passengers on merchant
ships of belligerent nationality: and |
that II must hold the imperial Ger
man government to a strict account
ability for any infringement of these
rights. intentional or incidental.
1T does not understand the i'm
perial German gvernment to question
those rights. 1t assumes, on the con-
trary, that the imperial German gov
ernment accept, as of course, the rule
that the lives of noncombatants,
whether they be of neutral citizenship
or citizens of one of the nations at
war can not lawfully or rightfully be
put In Jeopardy by the capture or de-
struction OF an unarmed merchant
man, and recognize also, as all other
nations do. the obligation to take the
usual precaution OF visit and search
to ascertain whether a suspected mer-
chairman Is in fact of belligerent
nationality or is in fact carrying con-
traband of war under a neutral flag.
The government of the United
States. therefore. desires to call the
attention Of the imperial German gov
ernment with the utmost earnestness
to the fact that the objection to their
present method of attack against the
trade OF their enemies lies in the prac-
teal impossibility of employing sub
marines In the destruction Of COM
merce without disregarding those
rules of fairness. reason, justice and
humanity which all modern opinion
regards as imperative.
1T Is practically impossible for the
officers OF a submarine to visit q mer-
chatham at sea and examine her
papers and cargo. 1t is practically
impossible for them to make a prize
of her; and IL they can not put prize
crew on board of her they can not
all on board of her to the mercy of
the sea In her small boats. These
facts, 1t is understood, the imperial
German government frankly admits.
We are informed that in the instances
OF which we have spoken time enough
for even that poor measure Of safety
was not given. and in at least two of
the cases cited not so much as a warn
ing was received. Manifestly subma-
rines can not be used against mer-
chantmen, as the last few weeks have
shown, without an inevitable violation
Of many sacred principles Of justice
and humanity.
American citizens act within their
indisputable rights In taking their
ships and in travelling wherever their
legitimate business calls them upon
the high seas and exercise those
rights in what should be the we'll JUS
titled confidence that their lives will
not be endangered by acts done i'm
clear violation Of universally acknowl-
edged international obligations and
certainly IN the confidence that their
own government will sustain them in
the exercise of their rights.
There was recently published in
the newspapers Of the United States,
regret to inform the imperial Ger
man government, a formal warning,
purporting to come from the imperial
German embassy at Washington, ad-
dressed to the people OF the United
States. and stating. in effect. that any
citizens OF the United States who exer-
cised his right of free travel upon the
seas would do so at his peril If his
Journey should take him within the
zone OF waters within which the
imperial German navy was using sub
marines against the commerce of
Great Britain and France, notwith-
standing the respectful but very earn
est protest Of his government. the
government or the United States. |
do not refer to this for the purpose
OF calling the attention of the i'm,
perial German government at this
time to the surprising irregularity of
communication from the imperial
German embassy at Washington ad-
dressed to the people of the United
States through the newspapers, but
only for the purpose of pointing out
that no warning that an unlawful and
inhumane act will be committed can
possibly be accepted as an excuse or
palliation for that act or as an abate-
ment of the responsibility for it's COM
mission.