Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-05-19

their legitimate business cal1s tneM
upon the high seas, and exercise
those rights in what should be we'll
justified confidence that their lives
Will not be endangered by acts
done In clear violation Of universally
acknowledged international obligation
| 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,
1 regret to inform the imperial Ger
ran government, formal warning,
lpurporting to come from the i'm
bassy at Washington addressed to
the people of the United States and
stating, in effect, that any citizen OF
| the United States who exercised his
right Of free travel upon the seas
would do so at his peril If his jour
ney should take him within the zone
Of waters within which the imperial
German navy was using submarines
against the commerce of Great Brit
ain and France, Notwithstanding the
respectful but very earnest protest
of his government, the government
of the United States. r do not refer
to this for the purpose Of calling
the attention of the imperial Ger
man government at this time to the
surprising irregularity Of a communi'
cation from the imperial German en-
bassy 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 an unlawful and inhu-
name act would be committed can
possibly be accepted as an excuse
or palliation for that act or as an
abatement of the responsibility for
it's commission. "@#%
Long acquainted as this govern
ment has been with the character
of the imperial German government
and with the, high principles OF
equity by which they have in the
mast been actuated and guided, the
government of the United States can
not believe that the commanders OF
the vessels which committed these
acts Of lawlessness did so except un-
der misapprehension of the orders
issued by the imperial German naval
authorities. It takes it for granted
that. at least within the practical
possibilities Of every case, the com
manders even Of submarines were
expected to do nothing that would
involve the lives of noncombatants or
the safety Of neutral ships even at
the cost Of failing Of their object OF
capture or destruction. 1t confident
" expects. therefore, that the impe-
rial German government will dis
ayow the acts of which the govern
ment of the United States complain
that they will make reparation so 1ar
as reparation is possible for injuries
which are without measure, and
that they will take immediate steps
to prevent the recurrence OF any
thing so obviously subversive OF the
principles of warfare for which the
imperial German government have In
the mast so wisely and so firmly con-
tended. j.;
1.-THE government and people OF
the United States look to the 1mpe-
rial German government for just,
prompt and enlightened action In
this vital matter with the greater
confidence because the United States
and Germany are bound together not
only by special ties Of friendship but
also by the explicit stipu'ations OF
the treaty of 1928 between the Uni
ted States and the Kingdom of Prus-
STA. t
Expressions Of regret and offers
of PREPARATION in case Of the destruc-
ton of neutral ships sunk by mis-
take, while they may satisfy interna-
tional obligations, If no loss OF lie
results, cannot justify or excuse a
practice the natural and necessary
effect of which is to subject neutral
nations and neutral persons to new,
and Unreasonable risks.
1.-THE imperial German government