Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-07-14
further Formally all merchandise

| further Formally all merchandise
coming from Germany, even when
neutral property. Just as it was al
SO with the Beers, the German peo-
/ pie is not to be given the choice Of
Iperishing from starvation with its
women and children or OF relinquish-
ing its independence. -, N. j
While our enemies thus loudly and
openly proclaimed war without
'ut,-rcy until our utter destruction, we
were conducting a war in self de-
tense for our national existence and
for the sake Of peace of an assured
permanency. We have been obliged
to adopt a submarine warfare to
meet this declared intention of our
enemies and the methods OF war
fare adopted by them in contrayen-
tion Of international law.
Must Protect German People.
With all its efforts in principle to
protect neutral life and property
from damage as much as possible,
: the German government recognized
unreservedly in its memorandum of
February that the interest of neu-g
trails might suffer from the subma-
rine warfare. However, the Ameri-
can government will also understand
and appreciate that in the fight for
existence, which has been forced up
on Germany by its adversaries and.
announced by them, it is the sacred
duty Of the imp eria1 government to
do all within its power to protect
and save the lives Of German sub
jects. If the imp erial government
were derelict in these, its duties, it
would be guilty before God mad his
tory. of the violation Of those prin-
ciples Of highest humanity which are
the foundation Of every national ex-'
istence. Il ;.5. II i$ss.
The case of the Lusitania shows
with horrible clearness to what jeop-,
ardizing of human life the manner
of conducting war employed by our
adyer saries leads. In the most di-
rect contradiction of u international
law all distinctions between mer-
chantmen and war vessels have been
obliterated by the order to British
merchantmen to arm themselves and
to ram submarines and the promise
of rewards therefore, and neutrals
who use merchantmen as travellers
thereby had been exposed in an in
creasing degree to all the dangers of
war. PIX n 2
Justifies Submarines Action.
If the commander of the German
submarine, which destroyed the Lu-
sitania, had caused the crew and
passengers to take boats before fir
ing torpedo, this would have meant
the sure destruction of his own YES
sci. After the experiences in sinking
much small and less seaworthy YES
sells, it was to be expected that a
mighty ship like the Lusitania would
remain above water long enough
even after the torpedoing to permit
passengers to enter the ships boats.
Circumstances of very peculiar kind,
especially the presence on board of
large quantities Of highly explosive
materials (word omitted, possibly
dissipated) this expectation. In addi-
ton it may be pointed out that If
the Lusitania had been spared, thou
sands, of munitions would have been
sent to Germany's enemies and
thereby thousands of German moth
ers and children robbed of bread
winners. ...~ ~ T.
In the spirit of friendship where
with the German nation has been i'm.
bued towards the union and its inhab
itants since the earliest days Of its ex
istence, the imperial government will
always be ready to do all it can
during the present war also to pre-
vent the jeopardizing of lives of
American citizens. The imperial
government, therefore, repeats the as
surance that American ships will not
be hindered in the prosecution of
legitimate shipping and the lives of
American citizens in neutral vessels
shall not be placed in jeopardy.
Insurance Safety Of Americans.
In order to exclude any unforeseen
dangers to American passenger
steamers made possible in view of
the conduct of maritime war by Ger
many's adversaries, German subma-
rines will be Instructed to permit the
free and safe passage of such pas
senger steamers when made recogni-
Fable by special markings and no
titled a reasonable time in advance.
The imperial government, however,
confidently hopes that the American
government will assume to guaran-
tee that these vessels have no con-
traband of war on board, details of
arrangements for the unhampered