The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-07-24

circumstances and method " ntiuck
produced 10y the use Of Instrumental.
ties Of nAvnl warfare. which the no.
lions Of the world cannot have had IN
view when the existing rules Of inter
national law were formulated, and II
Is ready to make every reasonable al
lowance for these novel and uneN
lcctcd aspects Of war ut sea but II
cannot consent To ahate any essential
or fundamental right of It's people be
Cause Of II mere alteration OF Circum-
stances. The rights Of neutrnls In
time " war are based upon principle,
not upon %eXpedieucy and the principles
are immutable. II Is the duty and
obligation Of b]elllgprcuts to find a
way to adapt the new circumstances
to them.
Possible to Stay Within Law
THE events OF the past two months
have clearly indicated that II Is pos
sible and practicable to conduct such
submarine operations M have charac
terrified the activity OF the imperial
German navy within the sO-called war
zone In substantial accord with the nc
cepted practice Of regulated warfare.
The whole world has looked with In
terest and increasing satisfaction at
the demonstration Of hat possibility
by German naval commanders. II Is
mnuifestly possible, therefore, to lift
the whole practice OF submarine at
tack above the criticism which IL has
aroused and remove the chief causes
OF offense.
I'm view Of the admission Of lille
gality made by the imperial govern
ment when Il pleaded the right
and In view Of the manifest POSSIBLE
ity " conforming 10 the established
rules Of naval warfare, the govern.
ment Of the United States cannot he
lieyc that the imperial government
will longer refrain from ~disayowing the
wanton act Of its naval commanders IN
sinking the Lusitania or from offer
ing reparatlOn Of the American lives
logt 10 far Ms reparation ran be made
for n needless destruction Of human
life by an illegal act.
THE government OF the United
States, while not indifferent to the
friendly spirit In which II II made,
cannot accept the suggestion Of the
imperial German government that Ger.
tain vessels I've designated and agreed
upon which shall be free on the seas
now illegally prescribed. The very
agreement would, by Implication, sub
Jet other vessels to illegal attack and
would be a curtailment aud therefore
an abandonment Of the principles for
which this government contends and
which I'm times OF calmer counsels
every nation would concede rs Of
course.
Both Contend for Freedom Of Seas
The government of the United
States and the imperial German gov
eminent are contending for the same
great object. have long stood together
In urging the very principles upon
which the government Of the United
States now 80 solemnly insists, TheT
are both %contending for the freedom
~ the a The government Of the
United States will continue to contend
for that freedom from whatever quar-.
ter violated, without compromise aud
at any cost II invites the practical
co operation OF the imperial German
government at this time when cooper.
alton may accomplish most and this
great common object he most strik.
inRly and effectively achieved.
The imperial German government
Expresses the hope that this object
may be In some measure accomplished
even before the present war ends. II
; raj he. The government Of the Unit.
} ed States not only feels obliged 10 In.
sist upon II, by whatsoever violated OF
ignored, In the protection ~ It's own
citizens, but II Il also deeply interested
, In seeing II made practicable between
7 the belllgerents themselves, and hold,