The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-02-20
Council Orders Bond
Election For Mar. 10

sDy herman cruisers ana brought be-
fore German prize court
Again the Dutch vessel Msria, hay
ing sailed from California with a car
30 of grain consigned To Dublin and
Belfast. was sunk in September last
by the German cruiser Karlsruhe.
This could only have been justified II,
amcrs other things, the cargo could
have been proved to be destined for
the British government or for armed
forces ana II a presumption to this ef-
feet had been established owing to
Dublin or Belfast being considered
fortified places or bases for armed
forces.
The German government cannot
have 1t botlf ways. If they consider
themselves justified in destroying by
bombardment the lives and property
OF peaceful civil inhabitants of Eng
lisll open towns and watering places
and in selling and sinking ships and
cargoes Of conditional contraband on
their way thither, on the ground that
they are consigned to a fortified place
or base, fortiori His Maiesty's gov
ernment must be at liberty to treat
Hamburg which Is in part protected
by Notifications at the mouth of the
Elbe. rs fortified town and base of
operations, and supply for the pur-
poseo OF article "a of the Declnra-
tiSu of London.
"If the owners OF The cargo of the
Wilhelmina desire to question the val
idity In international law OF the ac-
tion taken by order of His Majesty's
government they will have every op-
portnnity of establishing their case
in due course before the prize court,
and His Majesty's government would
in this connection recall the atten-
tion OF the United States to the con-
siderations put forward in Sir Ed
ward Grey's note TO Mr.. Page of the
lOth instant. as to the property cs
awaiting the result OF the prize court
proceedings before diplomatic action
is initiated. 1t will be remembered
that they have from the outset given
definite assurances that the owners of
the Wilhelmina as well as the owners
of her cargo, 1: found to 5e contra
band, would be equltahly Unidentified.
There is one further observation
to which His ,Majesty's government
thinks IL right and appropriate In the
present connection to give expression
They have not SO far declared food
stuffs to be absolute contraband; they
have not interferred with any neutral
vessels on account of their carrying
foodstuffs. except on basis of such
foodstuffs being liable TO capture IL
destined for enc emy forces of govern
1nent5. In 30 voting they nave beeD
guided by the general principle OF late
universally upheld - civilized nations
and observed in practice that the civil
populations OF countries at war are
not to be exposed TO treatment right
'ly reserved for combatants. This
distinction has to all intents and pur-
poses been swept sway by the novel
doctrines proc oclaiD.ed eanti acted upon
by the German government
1T 10 unnacetsary here 10 dwell on
the treatment that has been nlete6 out
to the civil population of Belgium and
Germar ,ccupa ion, When Germany.
long. before airy mites had been laid
by tho British authorities, proceeded
to SOW mines upon the high seas and
by this means sunl, a considerable
number not ohiy of British, but also
neutral merchantmen with their ~.
Offending crews, 1t was, so His Ma
teets teestS''s goee-rspafa siasti, oIF55t To .i1eI5.'
TO take retaliatory measures even IL
such measures were of q kind to in
Tolye pressure on the civil population.
not. indeed, of neutral States hut of
their enemies. They reTrained from
doing SO. When subsequently, Eng
lish towns aud defenaAiess British
subjects. including women and chill
drens were deliberately and systemeti-
caiiy fired upon and killed BY shirs
flying tho flag OF the imperial German
navy; when quiet country towns and
villages. void of defenses and posses
sing no nliiitaTy "a naval tts1vfii iinportance,
were oniharded by German aiFahips,
His Maieaty'a government still nh
stained from drawing the logical
consequences from this form OF att
tnck on defenselesS citizens.
Further steps In the same direction
are now el,s .snneed and isi fact AL
ready have been taken by Germany.
British merchant yessels have been
at sight without any. al
tempt being made 10 give warning 70
the crew or any opportunity being
given to save their lives. Al torpedo
has been iirel against a British:
hospital ship iS daylight & and similar
treatment is thpcatened to all British
vessels IN the future as we'll
as TO any neutral ships that may hap-
pen TO be found in the neighhorhood.
OF the British Isles.
Faced with this situation. His Ma
1eBtyh government considers 1t would
be altogether unreasonable that Great
British ard her allies should be ex-
pected 20 remain Indefinitely bound
to their grave detrimeat, b rules and
7f1nci cip1es OF which they rehcgnixe the