Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-07-29

pdIuy u1l0SS lue SSSSSl IT,
,eeks to escape after being
ed to submit to examination;
for belliagerent act of retaliation
is p3sFf Sc an act beyond the law, and
the4alafense of an act as retaliatory is
an admission that it is illegal.
Methods of Other National Irrelevant
The government of the United
States is, however, keenly disap-
pointed to find that the imperial Ger
man government regards itself as In
large degree exempt from the obi
cation to observe these principles,
even where neutral vessel are IN
cerned, by what it believes the policy
and practice Of the government of
Great Britain to be in the present
war with regard to neutral com
merce. The imperial German govern
ment will ready understand that the
government of the United States IAN
not discuss the policy of the govern
ment of Great Britain with regard to
neutral trade except with the govern
ment itself, and that it must regard
the conduct of other delligerent gov
ernments as irrelevant to any dis
cussion with the imperial German
government of what this government
regards as grave and mniustifiabie
violations of the rights of American
citizens by German naval command
ers.
humanity Demands Suspension Of
Practice.
illegal and inhuman acts, however
justifiable they may be thought to be
against an enemy who is believed to
have acted in contravention of law
and humanity, are manifestly indie
feasible when they deprive neutrals
of their acknowledged rights, partic-
ularly when they violate the right to
life itself. IL a belligerent cannot re-
taliate against an enemy without in
iuring the lives Of neutrals, as we'll
as their property. humanity, as we'll
as justice and a due regard for the
dignity sof neutral powers, should die
tate that the practice be d%iscontin-
ued. If persisted in it would in such
circumstances constitute an unpardon
able offense against the sovereignty
Of the neutral nation affected.
rundamentai Right Must Stand.
THE government of the United
States lis not unmindful of the extra
ordinary conditions created by this
war or of the radical alterations Of
circumstance and method of attack
produced by the use of instrumental
ties of naval warfare which the ma
lions of the woIad cannot have had in,
view when the existing rules of in
ternaitonai law were formulated, and
1t is ready to make every reasonable
allowance for these novel and unex-
9pected aSDec4S of war ataSea: hit III
cannot consent to abate any essential
cause of a mere alteration OF circHsn-
stance. The rights of neutrals in
time of War are based upon principle.
not upon expediency, and the prin
:cipIes ire immutable. t Is the duty
ad obligation of b~eiiigerents to inda
q way to adapt the new circumstances
TO them.
III Make Submarine Attack Legit-
innate.
The events Of the past two months
have clearly indicated that # is pos
sible and practicable to conduct such
snbularine operations as have char
acterized the activity 2of the imperial
German nayy within the so-called war
In substantial accord with the
accepted practices OF regulated war
fare. The whole world has looked
with intrest an dincreasing Gatisfac4l
tion at the demonstration Of that pos
Eihility BY German naval command
3ers, It is manifestIy possible, there
fore, d lift the whole practice OF !
submarine attack above the criticism