The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-05-18
Calls Attention to Grave Situation Resulting From Vic
lation of Am erican Rights.
IT STATES THAT FULL PREPARATION IS EXPECTED
Berlin Warned to Take Immed ate Steps
of Those Violations of International Which
Americans Lost Their Ii yes and eliminating With
: the Lusit ania Tragedy.

| warfare, could have the countenance
or sanction of that great government.
/ 1t feels it to be it's duty, therefore,
to address the Imperial German gov
utmost frankness and in the earnest
hope that it is not mistaken in ex-
pecting action on the part of the I'm.
perial German government which
will correct the unfortunate impress
sions which have been created and
vindicate once more the position of
I that government with regard to the
| sacred freedom of the seas.
RETALIATORY METHODS.
The government of the United
States has been apprised that the
Imperial German government consid-
| cred themselves to be obliged by the
| extraordinary circumstances of the
present war and the measures adopt
ed by their adversaries in seeking to
| cut Germany off from all commerce.
to adopt methods of retaliation
which go much beyond the ordinary
| methods OF warfare at sea, in the
proclamation of war zone from
which they have warned neutral
ships to keep away. This govern
ment has already taken occasion to
| inform the Imperial German govern
ment that it cannot admit the adop-
| tion of such measures or such a
warning of danger to operate as in
any degree as abbreviation of the
rights of American ship masters or
OF American citizens bound on law
full errands as passengers on mer-
chant ships of belligerent Dationali-
ty, and that it must hold the Imperial
| German government to a strict ac-
| countability for any infringement of
| those rights, intentional or inciden-
tai. 1t does not understand the I'm
perial German government to ques-
| tion those rights. 1t assumes, ON
the contrary, that the Imperial gov
ernment accepts as OF course. the rule
that the lives of non-combatants
whether they be of neutral citizen
| ship or citizens Of one of the ma
/ tions at war, cannot lawfully or
rightfully be put in jeopardy by the
capture or destruction of an unarm-
ed merchantmen, and recognize also
as all other nations do, the obliga-
| tion to take the usual precaution OF
visit and careful to ascertain wheth-
er a suspected merchantmen is in
fact of beiligerent nationality or is
in fact carrying contraband of war
under a neutral flag.
| WHERE THE OBJECTION LIES.
| The government of the United
/ States, therefore. desires to call the
attention of the Imperial German
| government with the utmost earnest
ness to the fact that the objection to
their present method of attack
against the trade of their enemies
lies in the practical impossibility OF
| employing submarines in the destruc-
| tion of commerce without disregard
ing those rules of fairness, reason
/ JuStiCe anu humanity WHICH ali HlOu-
ern opinion regards as imperative
1t is practically impossible for the
officers of submarine to visit a
merchantmen at sea and examine her
papers and cargo. 1t Is practically
impossible for them to make a prize
OF her; and, IL they cannot put prize
crew on board of her, they cannot
sink her without leaving her crew
and 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 admit
We are informed that in the In.
stances of which we have spoken
time enough for even that poor meas
ure of safety was not given. and in
at least two OF the cases cited not
so much as a warning was received
Manifestly, submarines cannot be
used against merchantmen, as the
/ last few weeks have shown. without
an inevitable violation OF many sa.