The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-06-17

sunk without so much as challenge
or a warning, and that men, women
and children were sent to their death
in circumstances unparalleled in
modern warfare. The fact that more
than 100 American citizens were
among those who persisted made it
the duty of the government Of the
United States to speak of these
things and once more, with solemn
emphasis, to call the attention of the
imperial German government to the
grave responsibility which the gov
eminent of the United States con-
ceives that it has incurred in this
| tragic occurrence, and to the indis-
putable principle upon which that re-
spopsibility rests.
| 1.-THE government of the United
States is contending for something
much greater than the mere rights
of property or privileges of COM
MERGE 1t is contending for nothing
less high and sacred than the rights
of humanity which every government
honors itself in respecting and which
no government is justified in resign
ing on behalf of those under it's care
and authority.
"Only her actual resistance to cap
ture or refusal to stop when ordered
to do so for the purpose of visit
could have afforded the commander
| of the submarine any justification
for so much as putting the lives Of
those on board the ship in jeopardy.
This the government of the United
States understands the explicit in
structions issued on August 3, 1914,
| by the imperial German admiralty to
| its commanders at sea, to have rec
ognized and embodied, as do the ma
val codes of all other nations, and
upon it every traveller and seaman
had a right to depend. 1t is upon
this principle of humanity, as we'll
as upon the law founded upon this
principle that the United States must
stand.
"The government of the United
States is happy to observe that your
eXcellency's note closes with the in
timation that the imperial German
government is willing, now as before,
to accept the good Offices OF the
| United States in an attempt to come
to an understanding with the gov
eminent of Great Britain by which
the character and conditions Of the
war upon the sea may be changed.
The government Of the United States
would consider it a privilege thus to
serve it's friends and the world. 1t
stands ready at any time to convey
| to either government any intimatiOn
or suggestion the other may be will
| ing to have it convey and cordially
invites the imperial German govern
ment to make use of it's services in
this way at its convenience. The
whole world is concerned in any
thing that may bring about even a
partial accommodation of interests
or in any way mitigate the terrors Of
the present distressing conflict.
Cannot Recognize War Zone.
SIN the meantime, whatever ar
arrangements may happily be made be-
tween the parties to the war, and
whatever may in the opinion of the
imperial German government have
been the proyocation of the circum-
stantial justification for the past acts
of it's commanders at sea, the govern
ment IF the United States confident
ly looks to see the justice and hui
manity of the government of Ger
many vindicated in all cases where
Americans have been Wronged or
rights as neutrals invaded.
"rhe government of the United
States therefore very earnestly and
very solemnly renews the representa-
lions of it's note transmitted to the
imperial German government. on the
! 5th of May, and relies in these rep
RESERVATIONS upon the principles Of
humanity, the universal recognized
understanding of international law
and the ancient friendship of the
German nation.
"The government of the United
States cannot admit that the pro-
clamatiOn of war zone from which
neutral ships have been warned to
keep away may be made to operate
as in any degree an abbreviation OF
the rights either of American ship
masters or of American citizens
bound on lawful errands as passen-
gers on merchant ships of belligerent
nationality 1t does not understand
the imperial German government to
question these rights.
1T understands it, also, to accept
also as established beyond question
the principle that the lives of nom
combatants cannot lawfully or right
fully be put in jeopardy by the cap
ture or destruction of an unresisting
..erchantman, and to recognize the
obligation to take sufficient precau-
t;ur to ascertain whether a suspect
ed merchantmen is in fact of bellig-
erent nationality or is In fact carry
ling, contraband of war under neu-
trail flag. The government of the
United States therefore deems it rea-
sonable to expect that the imperial
German government will adopt the
measures necessary to put these
principles into practice in respect of
the safeguarding of American lives
and American ships, and asks for as
surances that this will be done.
(Signed) Robert Lansing,
Secretary of State ad interim. !"
TWO LETTERS FOR HISTORY.
q