The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-05-14

Recalling the humane and enlight-
ened attitude hitherto assumed by the
imperial German government IN mat
tiers. OF international right, and, par
tlcularly, with regard 20 the freedC m
OF the seas; having learned to recoG-
n1Ze the German views and the Ger
man influence in the field of interna-
tlonal obligation as always engaged
upon the side of justice and human
ity; and having understood the in
structions of the imperial German
government to its naval commanders
to be upon the same plane of humane
action prescribed by the naval codes
of other nations, the government of
the United States was loath to believe
1T can not now bring itself to be-
ieve-that these acts, so absolutely
and the spirit of modern warfare,
could have the cOuntenance or sane
ton of that great government. 1t
feels it to be it's duty, therefore, to
address the Imperial German govern
ment concerning them with the ut
most frdnknesS and in the earnest
hope that it is not mistaken in ex-
pecting action on the part of the I'M
per1al German government, which Will
correct the unfortunate impressions
which have been created ana V1nd1-
cate once more the position of that
government with regard to the sacred
freedom of the seas.
The government of the United states
has been apprised that the imperial
German government considered them
selves to be obliged by the extraor-
binary circumstances of the present
war and the measures adopted by
their adverSarieS in seeking to cut
Germany off from all commerce, to
adopt methods of retaliation which go
much beyond the ordinary methods of
warfare at sea, in the proclamation OF
a war zone from which they nave
warned neutral ships to keep away
This government has already taken oc-
caSion to inform the imperial German
government that it cannot admit the
adoption of such measures or such
warning of danger to operate as IN
any degree an abbreviatiOn of the
rights of American shipmaSters or OF
American citizens bound on lawful err
randS as passengers on merchant Sh1ps
of belligerent nationality; and that it
must hold the imperial German gov
eminent to a strict accountability for
any infringement of those rights, in
territorial or incidental. 1t does not
understand the imperial government
to question those rights. 1t assumes,
on the contrary, that the imperial gov
eminent accepts, of cou-se, the rule
that the lives of non-cOmbatants,
whether they be of neutral citizenship
or of citizens of one of the nations 1T
war, cannot lawfully or rightfully be
put in jeopardy by the capture or de-
StructiOn of an unarmed merchant
man, and recognize, also, as all other
nations do, the obligation to take the
to ascertain whether a suspected mer-
chairman is in fact of belligerent ma
or is in fact carrying contra
band of war under a neutral flag.
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 lies in the
practical impossibility of employing
submarines in the destruction of COM
merce without disregarding those
rules of fairness, reason, justice and
which all modern opinion
regards as imperative. 1t is practical
ly impossible for the officers of sub
marine to visit a merchantmen at sea
and examine her papers and cargo. 1t
is practically impossible for them to
make a prize of her, and, if they can
not 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 |
admits. We are informed that |
in the instances of which we have |
spoken, time enough for even the poor
measure of safety was not given, and |
in two of the cases cited not so much |
as asa; warning .rhi1 was was received: Mani 5
against merchantmen, as the last few |
weeks have shown. without an fnevi- |
table violation of many sacred princi- |
pies 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 well-jus- |
titled confidence that their lives will |
not be endangered by acts done in |
clear violation of universally acknowl- |
edged international obligations, and |
certainly in the confidence that their |
own government will sustain them in
the exercise of their rights.
There was recently published in the |
of the United States, L re-
greet to inform the Imperial German
government, a formal warning, pur-
porting 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 who exercised his right of free
.ravel upon the seas would do so at
MS peril if his journey should take
him within the zone of waters within
which the imperial German navy was
Using submarines against the COM
nerce of Great Britain and France,
Notwithstanding the respectful, but
very earnest, protest of his govern
nent, the government of the United
States. / do not refer to this for the
purpose of calling the attention of the
German government at this
line to the surprising irregularity of
| communication from the imperial
German embassy at Washington adj
dressed to the people of the United
States through the newSpa pers, but
,nly for the purpose of pointing out
hat no warning that an unlawful and
act would be committed can
possibly be accepted an excuse or
oalliating for that act or abate-
nent of the responsibility for its
Long acquainted as this government
las been with the character of the
imperial German government, and
With the high principles of equity by
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