The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-07-24


perial German government recognizes
without reservation the validity of the
principles insisted on in the several
communications which this government
has addressed to the Imperial German
government with regard to its an
nouncement of a war zone and the use
of submarines against merchantmen on
the high seas-the principle that the
high seas are free, that the character
and cargo of merchantmen must first
be ascertained before she can lawfully
be seized or destroyed, and that the
lives of noncombatants may in no case
be put in jeopardy unless the vessel
resists or seeks to escape after being
summoned to submit to examination,
for belligerent act of retaliation is
per sc an act beyond the law, and the
defense Of an act rs retahatory is an
admission that it is illegal.
The government of the United
States is, however, keenly disappointed
to find that the Imperial German gov
ernment regards itself as in a large
degree exempt from the obligation to
| observe these principles, even where
neutral vessels are concerned, by what
| It believes the policy and practice of
1
| in the present war with regard to neu-
trail commerce The Imperial German
government will readily understand
that the government of the United
| States cannot discuss the policy of the
| government of Great Britain with re.
gard to neutral trade except with that
| government itself, and that it must
| regard the conduct of other belliger-
/ mr. trDx r.
| discussion with the Imperial German
government Of what this government
regards as grave and unjustifiable
violations of the rights Of American
+, citizens by German naval commanders
Illegal and inhuman acts, hdwevei
| justifiable they may be thought Il
lIeved to have acted in contra
vention of law and humanity. are
manifestly indcfensible when the,
deprive nentrals OF their acknowledge
| rights, particularly when thew ri0lat,
the right to lin r64seh. If belliger
/ ent cannot retaliatee against an enem,
without iniappg the lives Of neutrals
rs wei rs their preAert W humanity
as well as Justice and a due regar,
for the dignity of neutral powers
|
discontinued. If persisted in it woul
in such circumstances constitute a
objectionable otfense against the sovel
eighty of the neutral nation affected
The government of the Unite
States is not unmindful of the extra
,ordinary conditions created by thi
war or of the radical alterations Q
circumstances and method of attac
IN Nv Af -
tiles of naval warfare which the ii.
p tions of the world cannot have had i
view when the existing rules of intel
national law were formulated, and
. is ready TO make every reasonable a
lowantc for these novel and unexpecte
: aspects of war at sea; but 1t cannt
7 consent to abate any essential or ful
!. damental right of its people beeaus
of a mere alteration of Circumstance
!. The rights of neutrals in time of VIZ
ore based upon principle, not upon e
pediency, and the principles are il
a mutable. 1t is the duty and oblig
tion CT belligerents to find way
x adapt the new circumstances to thel
n The events of the past two montl
have clearly Indicated that it is poss
n Die and practicable to conduct SUI
y, submarine operations as have chara
4 terized the activity Of the .Imperi
le German navy within the so-called "
DC zone in substantial accord with t
it accepted practices of regulated wa
to fare. The whole world has looked wi
he interest and increasing satisfaction
10 the demonstration of that possibili
es by German naval commanders. 1t
ed manifestly possible, therefore, to Ii
y, the whole practice of submarine alta
e above the criticism which it h
sc aroused and remove the chief caus
IN of offense
In view of the admission of illeg
es ity made by the imperial governme