The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-06-15
America Asks Justice At
The Hands Of Germany

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of the United States to vessel also
carrying passengers, and serving, il.
virtual effect, as an auxiliary to the
naval forces of Great Britain. For
tunately these are matters concerning
which the government Of the United
States is in a position to give the i'm
perial German government official in
formation. Of the facts alleged IL
your excellency's note, if true, the
government of the United States
would have been bound to take offcia,
nized duty as a neutral power and in
cognizance in performing its recog-
enforcing it's national laws. 1t was
it's duty to see to it the Lusitania was
not armed for offensive action, that
she was not serving as transport,
that she did not carry cargo pro-
hibited by the statutes of the United
States, and that, if in fact she was
naval vessel of Great Britain, she
should not reveive clearance as a
merchantmen; and it performed tina;
duty and enforced it's. statutes with
scrupulous vigilance through its reg
ularly constituted officials. It is able,
therefore, to assure the imperial Ger
man government should deem itself
misinformed. If the imperial Ger
man government should def itself
10 be in possession of convincing evi~
dence that the officials of the govern
nlent of the United States did not
perform these duties with thorough
ness, the government of the United
States sincerely hopes that it will
submit that evidence for considera-
ton.
These Points Irrelevant.
whatever may be the contentious
of the imperial German government
regarding the carriage of contraband
CT war on board the Lusitania or re-
garding the explosion of that mater
ial by the torpedo, it need only be
said that in the view of this govern
ment these contentious are Irrelevant
10 the qestion of the legality Of the
methods used by the German naval
authorities in sinking tie vessel.
"But the sinking of passenger ships
involves principles of humanity which
throw into the background any spe-
cial circumstances of detail that may
be thought to affect the case, prin-
ciples which lift it, as the imperia!
German government will no doubt be
quick to recognize and acknowledge,
out of the class of ordinary subjects
of diplomatic discussion or of inter
national controversy Whatever be
the other facts regarding the Lusi-
tania, the pertinent fact is that q
great steamer, primarily and chiefly
conveyance for passengers, and car
rying more than a thousand souls
who had no part or lot in the con.
duct of the war, was torpedoed and
sunk without so much as a challenge
or a warning, and that men, wonlep
and children were sent to their dealt
in circumstances unparalleled in mod
ern warfare. The fact that more than
100 American citizens were amonG
those VINO perished 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 responsible
ity which the government Of the
United States conceives that it has
incurred in this tragic occurrence.
and to the indisputable principle up
on which that responsibility rests.
A Great Principle.
"The government of the. United
States is contending for something
much greater than mere rights Of
property or privileges Of commerce.
It is contending for nothing less high
and sacred than the rights of nu-
manity, which every government hon
ors itself in respecting and which no
government is justified in resigning
on behalf Of those under its care and
authority. Only her actual resistance
to capture or refusal to stop when.
ordered to do so for the purpose Of
visit could have afforded the com
mander of the submarine any justi-
fcation for so much as putting the
lives of those on board the ship in
Jeopardy. This principle the govern