Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-07-29

"The events of the past two months
have clearly indicated that 1t is pos.
sible and practicable to conduct such
submarine operations as have char
acterized the activity of the imperial
German navy within the socalled war
zone in substantial accord with the
accepted practices of regulated war.
fare. The whole world has looked
with interest and increasing satisfac-
tion at the demonstration OF that pos
sibility by German naval commanders.
1t is manifestly possible, therefore, to
lift the whole practice of submarine
attack above the criticism which II
has aroused and remove the chief
causes of offense.
in view Of the admission OF illegal
ity made by the imperial government
when 1t pleaded the right of retalia-
ton in defense of its act, and in view
of the manifest possibility OF conform
ing to the established rules of naval
warfare, the government OF the Unit
ed States cannot believe that the i'm
perial government will longer refrain
from disavowing the wanton act of
it's naval commander in sinking the
Lusitania or from reparation for the
American lives lost, so far as repara-
tion can be made for needless de-
struction Of human life by an illegal
act.
"The government OF the United
States, while not Indifferent to the
friendly spirit in which 1t is made,
cannot accept the suggestion of the
imperial German government that
certain vessels be designated and
agreed upon which shall be free on
the seas now illegally prescribed. The
very agreement would. by implica-
ton, subject other vessels to illegal
attack and would be a curtailment
and therefore an abandonment of the
principles for which this government
contends and which in times of calmer
counsels every nation would concede
as Of course.
''The government or the United
States will continue to contend for
that lTtcuOul, lIOlh
violated, without compromise and at
any cost. 1t invites the practical CO.
operation OF the imperial German gov
eminent at this time when co0pera-
ton may accomplish most and this
great common object be, most strik-
ingly and effectively achieved.
"The imperial German government
expresses the hope that this object
may be in some measure accomplish
ed even before the present war ends.
It 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 in
terested in seeing It made practicable
between the belligerents themselves,
and holds itself ready at any time to
act as the common friend who may
be privileged to suggest a way.
an the meantime the very value
which this government sets upon the
long and unbroken friendship between
the people and government of the
United States and the people and
government of the German nation i'm
.pels 1t to press very solemnly upon
the imperial German government the
necessity for scrupulous observance
OF neutral rights in this critical mat
ter Friendship itself prompts 1t to
say to the imperial government that
repetition by the commander OF Ger
man naval vessels of acts in contra
vention of those rights must be re-
garded by the government Of the Unit
ed States. when they affect American
citizens, as deliberately unfriendly.
Lansing"