The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-05-21

4
| tunate impressions which have been
created and vindicate once more the
position of that government with re
! gard to the sacred freedom of the
seas.
Strict Accountability Held.
THE government of the United
| States has been apprised that the
| Imperial German government consid-
cred themselves to be obliged by the
extraordinary circumstances of the
present war and the measures adopted
by their adversaries in seeking to cut
Germany off from all commerce, to
adopt methods of retaliation which go
much beyond the ordinary methods of
warfare at sea, in the proclamation OF
a war zone from which they have
warned neutral ships to keep away.
This government has already taken &C.
casion to inform the Imperial German
government that it cannot admit the
adoption of such measures or such
warning of danger to operate as in any
degree an abbreviation of the rights
of American ship-masters or of Ameri-
can citizens bound on lawful errands
as passengers on merchant ships OF
belligerent nationality; and that it
must hold the imperial government to
a strict accountability for any infringe
ment of these rights, intentional or
incidental. 1t does not understand the
Imperial German government to ques-
ton those rights. 1t assumes, on the
contrary, that the imperial govern
ment accepts, as of course, the rule
that the lives of non-combatants,
whether they be of neutral citizenship
or citizens of one of the nations at
war, cannot lawfully or rightfully be
put in jeopardy by the capture or
destruction of an unarmed merchant
man, and recognize also, as all other
nations do, the obligation to take the
usual precaution of visit and search to
ascertain whether a suspected mer-
chairman is in fact of belligerent ma
tionality or is in fact carrying con-
traband of war under neutral flag.
Submarines lmpracticabe.
1.-The government of the United
States, therefore, desires to call the
of the Imperial German gov
eminent with the utmost earnestness
to the fact that the objection to their
present method of attack against the
trade of their enemies lies in the prac
teal impossibility of employing sub
marines in the destruction of COM
-, oroo u,itboi,f dicrooordipo thoco
rules of fairness, reason, justice and
humanity, which all modern opinion
regards as imperative. 1t is practically
for the officers of a sub
marine to visit merchantmen at sea
and examine her papers and cargo.
Sustains American Rights.
American citizens act within their
rights in taking their
ships and in travelling wherever their
legitimate business calls them upon
the high seas and exercise those |
rights in what should be the well justi- |
fed confidence that their lives will |
not be endangered by acts done in |
clear violation of universally acknowl-
edged international obligation, and |
in the confidence that their |
,wn government will sustain them in
he exercise of their rights.
U. S. Ready to Act.
Expressions of regret and offers of
'eparation in case of the destruction
II neutral ships sunk by mistake,
While they may satisfy international
il no loss of life results,
.annot justify or excuse practice, the
natural and necessary effect of which
s to subject neutral nations and
leutral persons to new and immeas-
lrable risks
The Imperial German government
will not expect the government of the
United States to omit any word or any
ct necessary. to the performance Of
is sacred duty of maintaining the
lights OF the United States and its
itizens and Of safeguarding their free
xercise and enjoyment-B Bryan"