Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-06-15
Second Note to Berlin One of
Worlds Most Famous Documents

ftttf - NAiffiH if'Nr'Aff
lingnoss to convey TO Great Britain
any suggestion Germany may care to
offer relative To better understand
ing as to he methods of warfare as
sea, But II wishes Germany distinct
~ 70 understand that the vindication
of American rights does not and can
not depend or wait In any way on
agreements the belligerents may hap
pen to make. We are the champion
Of neutral rights which are our own
rights, and they shall not be subor-
dinated 90 the faneied necessities Of
any other nation or nations
our Demands.
We refuse 10 admit the validity Of
the war zone at sea, in so far as It
operates IN any degree whatsoever as
an abbreviation of the rights of
American ships or Of American pas
sengers IN belligerent ships.
We deny that the lives of noncom-
batants can lawfully or rightfully be
put In jeopardy by the destruction Of
unresistlng merchantmen, whatever
! the nationality of the ship, and re-
lterate our position that there is an
obligation In all cases to discover the
truth about a suspected merchantmen
| before taxing any measures whatever
against her.
We demand that Germany take the
proper means to put these principles
into practice, and ask for assurances
that this will be done.
Power 10 Compel Respect.
II II be a threaten war to demand
that nation hitherto friendly to us
observe he laws of nations, then the
note Is "A threat of war But to that
opinion we do not incline. Indeed If
worse comes to worst, If blood has
blinded Germany II is not by recourse
to arms that we shall assert our pow
er TO compel respect We have a
navy amply able to prevent the re-
currence of the particular acts of
which we complain not by carrying
on war, but by acting as a defending
convoy.
Yet our great strength lies not in
armament, but in the fact that we
can bring the kaiser to his knees
without firing a shot Let our mex
haustible resources In materials and
wealth. our enormous facilities for
producing the things by means of
which war Is carried on. be placed
unreservedly at the service of the al
lies, and there can be but one end
and that 4 quick one, to the kaiserism
which threatens to oVerfun all Eu-
rope. our wealth. without risk,
could leaD into the conflict our fac
tories conld determine the outcome in
Galicia Ne are. indeed, the financial
and munitions treasury Of tile world.
Where our help goes, there, too, goes
victory
sincere Desire for Peace.
Yet SO sincere are the American
people in their desire 90 keep aloof
from European entanglements. so
loath are they to break the historic
friendship which binds them to the
fatherland, so anxious are they that
they may be spared from any sort of
active participation in the worlds
great tragedy, SO firmly arc they set
In love for peace, that throughout this
entire land a sincere prayer goes up
that Berlin VIII receive the note In
the spirit which dictated IL, that Ger
many VIII come TO her senses and not
commit the fatal blunder of adding
this nation To the list of her already
great number of enemies.
Great Mission in the World.
But as for us, we have done what
We could; have made what eonces-
sions we could, We carry. as it We're,
the colors Of civilization and human
! itN a calm, clear voice for justice on
the seas; "A holy mission TO see to IT
that the ideals it has taken nineteen
centuries 60 establish shall not be
| everturn ed, repudiated and stamped
on. To hat mission we are dedicated
and To il We shall cling. be the cost
what il may for God helping us we
can no other.
Not the president only but whole
people have spoken They viii stand
back of their representative in this
crisis to the end