The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-17
Sinking Her without Warning
Would Be Dastardly Deed.
REAL TEST OF NEUTRALITY
WashingtOn's Attitude Will Be
Watched With Interest.
To Be Treated as Other Trad
ers Is All That Is Asked.
BY WILLIAM BAYARD HALE

Berlin. July III called upon the
minister of foreign affairs, Won Jago"'
q and laid before him telegrapnlc re-
mort from washington, via I'ondcn'
4 REPRESENTING that the United states
a Government, though admitting the pa
q cffic character of the Deutscnlanu,
would not protest if the warships or
the allies were to assemble At III"
mouth of the Chesapeake tne LOh ti
a Interpretation being that the ohlleo
n states government did not feel con-
cerned regarding the treatment ac
corded the boat upon the high seas
Minister Won Jagow said;
Il find this report altogether IN
credible 1t is incredible in the first
Il Mace that any government would an
nounce In advance It's decision III
hypothetical cases. In the Secon"
4 MIA o. il is incredible that anybody IN
4 authority at Washington would make
an announcement, which in erect
suggests or invites an attack upon
German merchantmen by the SHIPS
4 of the Entente powers. 1 DISMISS as
absurd the report that such an an
nouncement as that recorded IN the
3 London Times could have been MADE
in Washington. At the same time
= yotz will not fail to understand the
inisrhief to the good relations existing
4 between Germany and the United
4 STATES which the dissemination OF such
repbrts does.
Attack Likely.
yet, it is quite possible that British
VESSELS are really preparing to do what
1t is suggested they may do-asscmble
4 at Che mouth of Chesa peake bay and
attempt on sight to sink the Deutsch-
land and her crew. In spite of any IN
timation coming in this way l cannot
y behave the United States government
Wot1d in the event of such coWardly,
dastardly deed fail to voice the ener-
getic protest of civilization and hu-
manity. We claim nothing for this
80. hot
shesis entitled to be hailed. visited and
the4erew placed in safety before she is
destroyed-the precise rights which
have been insisted upon for every 9TH
er merchant ship by our government.
IT, after she is hailed. she attempts
10 escape. she does so at her own risk
and may properly be attacked and
sum-. But to allow the attack without
wafning upon an unarmed fragile
boat the lives of whose crew are at
theTmercy of a single shot-that is
something of which we refuse to be-
lieve the United States is capable.
While the Deutschland is purely
conqmercial enterprise. the German
goNfrnment is naturally watching with
a High degree of interest the treat
mert accorded her by the government
of We United States and it is certain
mat the German people are prepared
to @ccept the attitude of Washington
on mis- question, almost as decisive of
the whole subject of the sincerity of
the professions of American neutrality
Another Point
Dur men of peace, inventors, ma
rine architects, shippers. who have
made this attempt to solve in a nat
uraI and peaceful way some of the
4 problems created by war should be
ineHpressibly disappointed to learn
that their efforts had been, in effect
resented by nation whose necessities
as Well as our own they We're intended
TO Believe.
do not wish to press the point
thaf you have not yet yourselves made
spccessful effort to thwart the Brit
Ism sea oppression, that you have con-
TENED yourselves with Intellectual pa
N pert protests while we triumphantly
naye brought to bear upon the prob
lens all the energy of our peop1e
do not press the point because it is
perfectly natural, that our needs being
no douDt greater than yours, we have
been spurred to exertions for which
you have not felt the necessity.
Here we have an innocent craft de-
signed, constructed and sent upon a
81 voyage for the express purpose of re-
heWng a situation against which we
are battling and against which the
& United States government is protest.
ingS The cargo consists of goods in
q thet necessary industry and common
comfort of America. She will he fol-
lowed by similar craft designed and
constructed for the same peaceful
Deneffcent purpose. She will bring
back to Germany articles which your
farmers, manufacturers and merchants
have been forbidden, by England to
sellsto European customers. All this is
in an exact line with your declared
purposes to free your industries, COM
mefce and common life from-let us
be polite and say the unhappy pressure
OF var E
The United states, its people and
It's government, have direct interest
in Che fate of this commercial subma-
rine undertaking. You cannot be in
different to it. When was it ever
known that a government expressed
indifference to the necessities of it's
. people, the needs of its industries and
thesfreedom of its innocent intercourse
with the rest of the world.
Asks Nothing Unusual
4 do not in the slightest degree
suggest that you become the special
champions of the commercial subma-
rine or accord to it any unusual privi-
leges. 1 mean only there is every
reason in self-interest above and be-
You'd the ordinary reasons of fair play
4 and respect for the international law
why you should extend to it the same
rights-exactly those and no more
I which you extend ships that do not
1 possess the quality of travelling
f through as well as upon the water
+ The circumstances that a vessel has
newly achieved the ability to depart
frohn the horizontal plane does not to
thes ordinary mind afford the slightest
q groi1nd for outlawing her-especially
4 since that circumstance is balanced
by the fact that she is as fragile as
/ an eggshell. and that she deliberately
eschewed the right to arm herself.
~vhfch voug government allows and
Il defend: