The Ordway new era., 1916-04-28

l
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONGRESS-:
A situation has arisen In the foreign
relations of the country, of which it is
| frankly.
1t will be recalled that in February,
announced it's Intention to treat the
waters surrounding Great Britain and
Ireland as embraced within the scat
of war, and to destroy. all merchant
ships owned by its enemies that might
be found within any part of that pof-
% %tion Of tn, the hlgh, seas. SCI n and that II
as of belIigerent ownership. to keep
out of the waters 1t had thus pro-
scri6ed or else enter them at their
peril
Says Gross Abuses Are Certain.
The government of the United States
earnestly protested. 1t took the posi-
tion that such policy could not be
pursued without the practical certain
ty Of gross and palpable violation of
the law of nations. particularly If sub
marine craft were to be employed as
prescribed by that law, rules founded
upon principles of humanity and es-
tablished for the protection OF the lives
of non n-combatantS at sea, could not in
the nature of the case be observed by
such vessels.
| 1t based its protest on the ground
that persons of neutral nationality and
vessels of neutral ownership would be
exposed to extreme and intolerable
part of the high seas against their use
or to expose them to such risks, gould
lawfully be asserted by any belliger-
The law of nations in these matters.
upon which the government of the
United states based It's protest; is not
| of recent origin, or founded upon
merely arbitrary principles set up by
convention. 1t Is based. on the con, con
principles of humanity and has long
been established with the approval and
by the express assent of all civilized
| nations.
Germany DisreEards All Protests.
| notwithstanding the earnest protest
of our government, the imperial Ger
man government at once proceeded to
| carry out the policy 1t had announced.
1t expressed the hope that the dangers
involved, at any rate the dangers to
| neutral vessels, would be reduced to q
minimum by the instructions which 1t
had issued to its submarine command
ers and assured the government of the
United States that IT would take ev-
cry possible precaution both to respect
the rights of neutrals, and to safe
guard the lives of non-combatants.
What has actually happened in the
year which has since elapsed. has
shown that those hopes were not justi.
fled. those assurances insusceptible Of
being fulfilled.
In pursuance OF the policy of sub
marine warfare against the commerce
of its adversaries, thus announced and
entered upon by the imperial German
|
test of this government the command
ers of German undersea vessels have
attacked merchant ships with greater
and greater activity, not only upon
the high seas surrounding Great Brit
ain and Ireland but wherever they
could encounter them, III way that
has grown more and more ruthless,
more and more indiscriminate as the
months have gone by. less and less OBJ,
have delivered their attacks without
compunction against vessels of every
nationality and bound upon every sort
of errand.
NcutraI-Owned VesseIs Destroyed.
Vessels of neutral ownership, even
vessels OF neutral ownership bound
from neutral port to neutral port, have
been destroyed, along with vessels of
bolligerent ownership in constantly-in-
creasinG numbers.
Sometimes the merchantman attacked
has been warned and summoned to
| pedoed; sometimes passengers or crews
| have been vouchsnfed the poor secur-
its OF being being 1o allowed ~, to take ent to the ne
the bottom.
But again and again no warning had
been given: no escape even to the
ships boats allowed to those on board.
What this government foresaw must
happen has happened. Trasedy has
fashion, with such attendant circum-
stances, rs to make 1t grossly evident
that warfare of such a sort, If war War-
out the most palpable violation of the
dictates alike of right and humanity
| Whatever the disposition and inten-
tion Of the Imperial German govern
!. ment 1t has manifestly proved impos-
sible for 1t to keep such methods of
| mics within the bounds set by either
the reason or the heart of mankind.
In February of the present fn:hs year: the
this government and the other neu-
tral governments Of the world that it
y, to sslfye had ahe armed Eov
| nil merchant vessels of British owner
ship. and had given them secret Or
ders to attack any submarine of the
| enemy they might encounter upon the
seas. and that the imperial German
government felt justified in the cir
| cumstances in treating all merchant
men of belligerent ownership as. auX,
| iliary vessels of war, which 1t would
have the right to destroy without
warning.
| The law of nations has long recog-
| nized the right of merchantmen to
| carry arms for protection and to use
them to repel attacks, to use them IN
| such circumstances at their own risk;
| but the imperial German cover ment
claimed the right to set these under
| which it deemed extraordinary,
Even the terms in which II an,
To- relax the restraints 1t had preyi
o,.siy professed its willingness and de
4 sire to put upon the operations OF It's
| submarines carried the plain implica-
1 tion that at least vessels which were
| not armed would be exempt from de.
| struction without warming and that
personal safety would be accorded
their passengers and crews: put even
| cable to observe 1t, has in fact consti-
tsited no check at all upon the de-
| struction of ships of every sort.
| AraIn and again the imperial Ger
man government has given this gov
/