Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-11

duty In fact "the United states performed
that duty and enforced it's statutes with
scrupulous vigilance through it's regular con
stItuted oficials"
OUR RIGHTS NOT DEPENDENT ON
BELLIGERENTs' AGREEMENTS
TNHE United States expresses its willing
i ness to convey to Great Britain any sug'
eestion Germany may care to offer relative
to better understanding as to the methods
Of warfare at sea. But it wishes Germany
distinctly to understand that the vindication
Of American rights does not and cannot de-
pend or walt in any way on agreements the
belligerents may happen to make. we are
the champion Of neutral rights, which are
our own rights, and they shall not be sub
ordlnated to the fancied necessities Of any
other nation or nations.
OUR DEMANDS
WE REFUSE to admit the validity of the
w war zone at sea, in so far as II operates
in any degree whatsoever as an abbrcvia
tion of the rights Of American ships or Of
American passengers on belligerent ships
we deny that the lives of noncombatants
can lawfully or rightfully be put in jeopardy
by the destruction Of unresistlng merchant
men, whatever the nationality of the ship,
and reiterate our position that there is an
obligation in all cases to discover the truth
about a suspected merchantmen before taxi
Ing any measures whatever against her.
We demand that Germany take the proper
means to put these principles into practice,
and ask for assurances that this will be
done.
We could ask no less with any self
respect; we can accept no less in any cir
cumstances
POWER TO COMPEL RESPECT
TT 1T be threat of war to demand that a
nation hitherto friendly with us observe
the laws Of nations, then the note Is threat
of war. But to that opinion we do not in
cline. Indeed, II worse comes to worst, IL
blood has blinded Germany, It is not by
recourse to arms that we shall assert our
power to compel respect We have a navy
amply able to prevent the recurrence of the
particular acts OF which we complain, not
by carrying on war; but by acting a de-
Tending convoy.
Yet our great strength lies not in arma-
ment, but in the fact that we can bring
the Kaiser to his kness without firing
a shot. Let our inexhaustlble resources
in materials and wealth, enormous .
facilities for producing the things by
means of which war is carried on, be placed
unreservedly at the service OF the Allies, and .
there can be but one end and that a quick
one, to the Kaiserism which threatens to
overrun all Europe. Our wealth, without
risk, could leap into the conflict Our fac
tories could determine the outcome In Cali
cia, We are, indeed, the financial and munI-
tions treasury of the world. Where our help
goes, there, too, goes victory.
SINCERE DESIRE FOR PEACE
VET so sincere are the American people
L in their desire to keep aloof from Euro
pean entanglements, so loath are they to
break the historic friendship which binds
them to the Fatherand. so anxious are they
that they may be spared from any sort Of
tragedy, firmly are they set in love for
peace, that throughout this entire land a
secret prayer goes up that Berlin will receive
the note in the spirit which dictated It, that
will come to her senses and not
commit the fatal blunder of adding this
nation to the list Of her already great num-
Der of enemies.
GREAT MISSION IN THE WORLD
DUT as for us. we have done what we
- could; have made what concessions we
Gould. We carry as 1t were, the colors of
civilization and humanity; calm. clear
'oice for Justice on the SEAS holy mission
% see to it that the ideals It has taken
lineteen centuries to establish shall not be
overturned. repudiated and stamped on.
To that mission we are dedicated and to it
We shall cling, be the cost what it may for,
iod helping us, we can no other.
Not the President only. but whole peo-
Die have spoken. They will stand back of
heir representative in this crisis to the end.
As to Mr.. Bryan