Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-07-24

the sovereignty of the neutral r..;
affected. On
"The government of the r,.,
States is not unmindful of the ay,.n 'ed
dinary conditions created by tb;s ao''
or of the radical alterations of war war
stances and method of attack nrnSnia, ,5Sun,
by the use of the instrumentalitias 81
naval warfare which the nat;ons y.
the world cannot have had in "
when the existing rules of ipte,ro.ii'e" ne"
al law were formulated, and it is sayI rsaS.
to make every reasonable allowont.
for these novel and unexpected asrna.o .n.o
of war at sea, but it cannot copsots
to abate any essential or fundamao.uis
right of its people because of masa 'a,
alteration or circumstances.
Bellgerents Must Find Wav
"The rights of neutrals in tims =,
war are based upon principle, NOT nDOa ~
expediency, and the principles are ?Ua iw
mutable. 1t is the duty and obEnn
tion of belligerents to find a wav -
adapt the new circumstances 10 tIonSo "
1.-THE events of the past two month.
have clearly indicated that it ia noa
sible and practicable to conduct tn"h
submarine operations as have cbaron
terized the activity Of the imns,;sI
German navy within the so.ealled war
zone in substantial accord with % tSa
accepted practices of regulated vs,'
fare. The whole world has looEaa
with interest and increasing satisfas.
tion at the demonstration of that nos
sibility by German naval Commando
1t is manifestly possible, therefore 10
lift the whole practice of submarine
attack above the criticism which IL bao @
aroused and remove the chief causes of
offense.
Disavowal of Wanton Act Expec+0d
81 In view of the admission OF m
legality made by the imperial govern.
ment when it pleaded the right of "a.
taliation in defense of its acts ana
in view of the manifest possibility ~
conforming to the established rules Of
naval warfare, the government of the
United States cannot believe that tba
imperial government will longer "a.
frain from disavowing the wanton act
Of its naval commander in sinking tbs
Lusitania or from offering reparation
for the American lives lost, so far az
reparation can be made for a needless
destruction of human life by an illegal
act.
'The government of the United
States, while not Indifferent to tbs
friendly spirit in which it is mads
cannot accept the suggestion of the
imperial German government that
certain vessels be designated and
agreed upon which shall be free an
the seas now illegally prescribed The
very agreement would, by implication
subject other vessels to illegal attack
and would be a curtailment and there.
fore an abandonment of the PRINCIPLES
for which this government contends
and which in times of calmer counseIs
every nation would concede as of
course
Principle Maintained at Any Cost.
1.-The government of the United
States and the imperial German GOV.
ernment are contending for the same
object, have long stood together in
urging the very principles upon which
the government of the United States
now solemnly insists. They are both
contending for the freedom of the
seas. The government of the United
| States will continue to contend for
that freedom, from whatever quarter
violated, without compromise and al
any cost 1t invites the practical co.
operation of the imperial German
government at this time, when co.
operation may accomplish most and
this great common object be most
strikingly and effectively achieved.
The imperial German government
expresses the hope that this object
may be in some measure accomplished
even before the present war ends. 1t
can be- The government of the United
states not only feels obliged to insist
upon 1t, by whomsoever violated or
ignored, and in the protection of its
own citizens, but is also deeply inter.
ested in seeing it made practicable be.
tween the belligerents themselvs, and
holds itslf ready at any time TO act
as the common friend who may be
privileged to suggest a way.
Friendly Warning Given
In the meantime the very value
which this government sets upon the
long and unbroken friendship between
the people and the government of the
United States and people and the gov.
ernment of the German nation i'm.
pels it to impress very solemnly upon
the imperial German government the
necessity for scrupulous observance
of neutral rights in this citical mat
ter Friendship itself prompts it to
say to the imperial government that
repetition by the commanders of Ger
man naval vessels of acts in contra
yention Of those rights must be re-
garded by the government OF the
United States, when they affect Amer
lean citizens, as deliberately uh'
friendly. LANSING. "