Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1915-06-17
", J. BRYAN'S STATEMENT TO
UNITED STATES GERMANS
Urges Then, Help Keep the PeaceScores Submarine
Warfare.

ton or of the policy of any group.
The words are employed by jingoes
as an expression of contempt and are
applied Unfortunately to all who
have faith in the nations ability to
find a peaceful way out of every diff
ficulty, so long as both nations want
peace.
The alarmists of the country have
had control of the metropolitan
press, and they have loudly pro-
claimed that the prolongation of ne
gotiations or the suggestion of inter-
national investigation would be
sign of weakness-and everything is
weakness that does not contain
hint of war.
Duty to Help President.
Second-Knowing that the presi-
dent desires peace, it is your duty to
help him secure it, and how? BY ex-
erting your influence to convince the
German government of this fact and
to persuade that government to take
no steps that would lead in the direc-
tion of war.
My fear has been that the German
government might, despairing of
friendly settlement, break off diplo-
matte relations and thus create a
condition out of which war might
come without the Intention of either
country.
l do not ask you to minimize the
earnestness. of the presidents state
! ment-that would LIE unfair both to
him and to Germany. The sinking
of the Lusitania caHnot be defended
| upon the facts as, we understand
them.
Third: Do not sa1 empt to connect
the negotiations w},ch are going on
between the United States and Ger
| many with those t,e e-ween the United
States and Great Britain.
| The cases are different, but even
if they were the same it would be
necessary to treat with each nation
separately. My personal preference
has been to REPEAT our insistence
that the allies Ahall not interfere
with our commetce with neutral
countries. but th{ difference on this
point was a matter of judgment and
not a matter Of principle. In the
note to Great Britain, dater March
| 80. this government said:
| I'm view of these assurances *
| it is confidently expected that the
| extensive powers conferred by the
| order in council will be re-
stricted by "orders issued by the gov
| ernment" directing the exercise OF
their discretionary powers
| as to modify those prOvis-
| ions of the order in council which, if
| strictly enforced, would violate neu-
| tral rights and interrupt legitimate te
trade. Relying on the faithful per-
| formance of these voluntary assur-
! takes it for granted that the ap-
proach of the American merchant
man to neutral ports will
not he interfered with when it is
known that they do not carry goods
which are contraband of war or
goods destined to or proceeding from
ports within the belligerent territory
affected"
! L. S. Will Insist on Rights.
| There is no doubt that our govern
ment will insist upon this position
| that is an important thing, the exact
| date of the note is not material. My
reason for desiring to have the mat
ter presented to Great Britain at
once was not that Germany had any
l right to ask it, but because / was
anxious to make it as easy as pos
sible for Germany to accept the de-
mands of the United States and cease
to employ submarines against mer-
chantmen.
| Hopes Germany Will Give In.
| FOURTH hope that Germany will
| acQuiesce in the demands that have
been made, and l hope that she will
acquiesce in them without condi-
tions.
She can trust the United States to
deal justly with her in the considera-
ton of any changes that she may
propose in the international rules
that govern the taking of prizes.
The more generously she acts in this
matter the greater will be the glory
which she will derive from it.
] She has raised question which
f, is now receiving serious considera-
tion-namely: Whether the intro
duction of the submarine necessi-
tates any change in the rules gov
erning the capture of prizes. The
pOSlllOu S0SIllu6l. CdhCA Wy NOA
many-namely that she is entitled
to drown non-combatants because
they ride with contraband-is an un-
tenable position; the most that she
could insist upon is that, in view OF
the introduction of this new weapon
of warfare, new rules should be
adopted, separating passengers from
Objectionable cargo.
Urges Shipping Law Change.
If the use of the submarine justi-
fes such change in the law of
blockade as will permit the Gordon
to be withdrawn far enough from
the shore to avoid the danger of sub
marine attack, may 1t not be found
possible to secure an international
agreement by which passengers will
be excluded from ships carrying con-
traband, or at least from those carry
ing ammunition?
1t would require but slight
change in the shipping laws to make
this separation, and belligerent ma
tions might be restrained from un-