Arizona republican., 1915-05-14

citizenship or of citizenship of any of
the nations at war. cannot lawfully or
rightfully be put in jeopardy by the
capture and destruction of unarmed
merchantmen and recognizes also. as
all other nations do. the obligation to
take the usual precaution of visit and
search to ascertain whether suspect
ed merchantmen is in fact of bellig-
erent nationality or in fact carrying
Contraband of war under a neutral
flag
The government of the United
States. therefore. desires to call the at
tention of the imperial German gov
ernmen. with the utmost .earnestnee,s
to the .fact that the objection to their
present method Of attack against trade
enemies lbs in the practical impossi-
bility of employing submarines in the
destruction of commerce without ds-
regarding these rules of fairness. rea-
son. justice and humanity which all
modern opinion regards as imperative
II is practically impossible for the Of
ficens of submarine to visit mer-
chairman At sea and examine its papers
and cargo. 1t is practically impossible
for them to make a prize of her. if
they dc not put prize crew aboard her
or they do not sink her without leav-
ing the crew and all aboard her to the
mercy of the sea in small boats. These
facts. il IS understood. the imperial
German government frankly admit We
are informed in the instances of which
we have spoken times enough even that
poor measure Of safety is not given and
at least two cases have been cited where
not so much as a warning was re-
ceived- Manifestly submarines cannot
be used against merchantmen. as the
last few weeks have shown, without the
inevitable violation of many of the sac
red principles Of justice and humanity.
American citizens act within their
indisputable rights in taking ships
for travelling whenever legitimate
business calls them upon the high
seas. and exercise those rights in
what should be the well justified
confidence their lives will not be en-
dangered by acts done in clear vio-
lation of universal acknowledged in
ternational 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 gov
eminent a formal warning. purport-
ing to come from the Imperil Ger
man embassy at Washington. adj
dressed to the people of the United
States. stating i'm effect that any
citizen Of the United States who ex-
eTcise the right of free travel upon
the seas would 90 at his peril if
the journey should take him within
the zone of waters within which the
imperial German navy is using sub
marines against the commerce of
Great Britain and France, notwith
standing the respectful but very earn
est protest of this government, the
government of the United Safes. l
do no refer to this for the purpose
of calling the attention of the inn
perial German government at this
time to the surprising irregularity
of communication from the imperial
Embassy at Washington
addressed to the people of the United
States through the newspapers. but
only for the purpose of pointing out
that no warning that unlawful. in
humane act is to be committed can
POSSIBLY be accepted as an excuse or
palliation for that act or abatement
of the responsibility for it's commis-
sion.
Long acquainted this govern
ment has been with the character
of the imperial German government
and with the high principles of equity
by which they in the past have been
actuated and guided. the government
of the United States cannot believe
the commanders of the vessels which
these acts Of lawlessness
did so except under a misapprehen-