The Detroit times., 1916-04-20

"AoHiNoiONs April Z0.--"Un-
less the imperial German govern
ment should now immediately de.
clare and effect an abandonment Of
Its present methods against passen-
ger and freight carrying vest els, this
government can have no choice but
TO sever diplomatic relations with
the government Of the German EN-.
pire altogether"
This declaration WA made by
President Wilson to congress We'd
nesday afternoon at the climax Of a
message In which he indicted In Sc
verest terms the German submarine
campaign.
This decision I have arrived at."
the president added. with the keen
est regret; the possibility of the &C
tion contemplated. am sure all
thoughtful Americans look forward
TO with unaffected reluctance"
The president spoke as follows:
"A situation hAs ariser In tho for
cign relations OF the country OF
which 1t Is my plain duty TO inform
you very frankly.
1T will be recalled that. In Feb
ruary, 1915. the imperial German
government announced it's intention
to treat the waters surrounding
Great Britain and Ireland as EN-.
braced within the seat of war and
destroy all merchant ships owned
by It's enemies that might be found
within any part Of that portion Of
the high seas and that II warned all
vessels. of neutral as well as OF bel
ligerent ownership. to keep out OF
the waters II had thus prescribed or
only enter them ut their peril. The
governmo Of the United States
earnestly protested.
sit contcndec that such a policy
could not he pursued without the
practical certainty of gross and pal
pable. violation of the law Of ma
tiona, particularly il submarine
craft were To be employed as it's
instruments. inasmuch as the rules
prescribed by the law, iUles founded
upon principles Of humanity and es.
tablished for the protection Of the
lives OF non.c .combatants at sea. could
not. In thu nature OF the case. be
observed by such vessels. II based
its protest on the ground that per
sons OF neutral nationality and ves'
sells Of neutral ownership would be
exposed To extreme end intolerable
risks. and that no right TO close any
part Of the high seas against their
use or expose them to such risks
could lawfully be asserted by any
beliigerent government. The law of
nations In these matters. upon which
the government Of the United States
based It's protest, In not OF recent
origin or founded upon merely arbi-
trary principles set up by ccnyen-
tion. II is based. on the contrary,
upon manifest and imperative prin-
ciples Of humanity and has long
been established with the approval
and by the express assent OF all
civilized nations.
Notwithstanding the earnest pro-
test OF our government, the imperial
German government at once pro-
ceeded to carry out the policy II
had announced. II expressed the
hope that the dangers involved. at
any rate, the dangers to neutral YES
sells, would be reduced to a mini.
mum by the instructions which II
had issued to It's submarine com.
manders, and assured the govern
ment of the United States that n
would take every possible precau.
tion both to respect the rights OF
neutrals and to safeguard the lives
Of non.combatants.
What has actually happened In
the year which has since elapsed
has shown that those hopes were
not justified. these assurances in
susceptible Of being fulfilled. In
pursuance of the policy OF submarine
warfare against the commerce Of Its
adversarics thus announced and en-
tered upon by the imperial German
government In spite OF the solemn
protest Of this government. the COM
inanders of German nndersea vessels
have attacked merchant ships with
greater and greater activity, not only
upon the high seas surrounding
Great Britain and ireland but wher.
ever they could encounter them In
. way that has grown moro and
more ruthless. moro and more indis.
crimlnate a. the months have gone
by. less and less observant OF re.
straints Of any kind: and have de-
livered their attacks without com.
junction against vessels Of every
nationality snd bound upon every
sort Of errand.
Vessel Of neutral ownership, even
vessels Of neutral ownership bound
from neutral port to neutral port.
have been destroyed. along with YES
sells of belliserent ownership. In
constantly increasing numbers.
Sometimes the merchantmen attack.
ed has been warned and summoned
to surrender before being fired upon
or iorpedoed; sometimes passen-
gers or crews have been vouchssfed
the poor security Of being allowed
tn take the ships boats before she
was sent to the bottom. But, again
and again, no warning has been siv.