Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-05-19


1t does not understand the i'm
perlal German government to oues-
ton those rights. 1t assumes, on the
contrary. that the imperial German
government accepts, as of course, the
rule That the lives of non-combatants.
whether they be of neutral citizen
snip or citizens of one of the nations
at war cannot lawfully or rightfully
be put in jeopardy by the capture or
destruction of an unarmed merchant
man and recognize also, as all other
nations do, the obligation to take the
usual precaution of visit and search
TO ascertain whether a SUSPECTED
merchantmen is in fact of belligerent
nationality or is in fact carrying con-
traband OF war under a neutral flag.
Basis of Objection.
1.-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
hes in the practical impossibility of
employing submarines in the destruc-
| ton of commerce without disregard
ing these rules of fairness, reason,
justice and humanity which all mod
ern opinion regards as imperative.
1t is practically impossible for the
officers of a submarine to visit a mer-
! chairman at sea and examine her pa
pers and cargo. 1t is practically i'm
| possible for them to make a prize of
her; and, if they cannot put a 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, it is understood, the imperial
German government frankly admit
Warning Not Given.
eve 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 US
/ ed against merchantmen. as the last
| few weeks have shown, without an
inevitable violation of many sacred
principles of Justice and humanity.
American citizens act within their
indisputable rights in taking their
ships and in travelling wherever their
legitimate business calls them upon
the high seas, and exercise those
rights in what should be the we'll JUS
titled confidence that their lives will
not be endangered by acts done in
clear violation of universally ac-
knowledged international obligations
and certainly in the confidence that
their own government will sustain
them in the exercise of their rights.
Criticizes Embassy Act
"There was recently published in
the newspapers of the United States,
/ regret to inform the imperial Ger
/ man government, formal warning,
purporting to come from the imperial
German embassy at Washington, ad-
dressed to the people of the United
| States and stating, in effect, that any
/ citizen of the United States who eX-
ercised his right to travel upon the
seas would do so at his peril if his
Journey should take him within the
zone of waters within which the i'm
perial German navy was using sub
marines against the commerce OF
Great Britain and France, notWith-
standing the respectful but very ear
nest protest of his government, the
government of the United States.
81 do not refer to this for the pur-
nose of calling the attention of, the
! imperial German government at THIS
time to the surprising irregularlty OF
| communication from the lmperlai
German embassy at Washington ad-
dressed to the people of the united
States through the newspapers, but
only for the purpose of pointing out
that no warning that an uniawtul
and inhuman act will be committed
oan nossibly be accepted as an excuse
or nalliation for that act, or as an
abatement of the responsibility Tor
IFS commission.
ssJ ong acquainted as this govern
mont has been with the character OF
the imperial German government ana
with the high principles of equity by
which they have in the past been actu-
ated and guided, the government OF
the limited States cannot believe that
the commanders of the vessels whlch
committed these acts of lawlessness
did so except under misapprehenslon
of the orders issued by the lmperiai
! German naval authorities. 1t takes IL
for granted that, at least within the
practical possibilities of every sucn
eoee the commanders even OF SUD-
marines we're expected to do nothing
that would involve the lives OF non
combatar Is or the safety of neutral
sbips. even at the cost of failing OF
their object of capture or destruction.
| Asks for DisavowaI.