The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-06-18
SAYS AN-AMERICANS
SHOULD WORK FOR PEACE
Continued from page p

thing, the exact date of the note is
not material. My reason for desiring
to have the matter presented to Great
Britain at once was not that Ger
many had any right to ask for it, but
because | was anxious to make it as
easy as possible for Germany to
accept the demands of the United
States and cease to employ subma-
rines against merchantmen. There is
no reason why any German-Ameri-
can should doubt the presidents in
tentions in this matter. I am sure
that every one will, on reflection,
recognize that our duty to prevent
loss of life is more urgent than our
duty to prevent interference with
trade-loss of trade can be compen-
stated for with money, but no settle
ment that the United States and
Germany may reach can call back to
life those who went down with the
Lusitania-and war would be the
most expensive of all settlements be-
cause it would enormously add to the
numer of the dead.
Hopes for Acquiescence
Fourth. hope that Gerany will
acquiesce in the demands that have
been made and l hope that she will
acquiesce without conditions. She
can trust the United States to deal
justly with her in the consideration
of any changes that she may propose
in the international rules that govern
the taking of prizes. The more gen
erously she acts in this matter the
greater will be the glory which she
Will derive from it. She has raised
a question which is now receiveng
consideration, namely, wheter the
introduction of the submarine neces-
states any change in the rules gov
erning the capture of prizes. The
position seemingly taken by Germany
namely, that she is entitled to drown
non-combatants because they ride
with contraband is an untenable posi-
ton; the most that she could insist
upon is that in view of the introduc-
ton OF this new weapon of warfare
new rules would be adopted
ing passengers from objectionable
cargo. If the use of the submarine
Justlfies 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to be withdrawn far enough from the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 attacks, may it 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 a slight change in the shipping
laws to make this separation and bel
ligerent nations might be restrained
from unnecessarily increasing the
contraband list if they were compell-
ed to carry contraband on transports
as they now carry troops.
No Chance of That
PERSONALLY, / would like to see
the use of submarines abandoned en-
tirely, just as l would like to see an
abandonment of the use of aeroplanes
and Zeppelins for the carrying of ex-
plosives, but l am not sanguine
enough to believe that any effective
instrument of warfare will be aban-
doned as long as war continues. The
very arguments which the advocates
OF peace advance against the sub
marine, the aeroplane and the Zep-
pelin are advanced in favor of them
by those who conduct the war. The
more fatal the weapon is the more it
Is in demand and it is not an unusual
thing to see new instrument of de-
struction denounced as inhuman by
those against whom it is EMPLOYED
only to be employed later by those
VINO only a short while before de-
nounced it.
The above suggestions are respect
fully submitted to those of German
birth or descent and they are sub