The Benson signal., 1916-04-29

GENTLEMEN OF THE CONGRESS-:
A situation has arisen in the foreign
relations of the country, of which it is
my plain duty to inform you very
frankly.
It will be recalled that in February,
1915, the imperial German government
announced it's intention to treat the
waters surrounding Great Britain and
Ireland as embraced within the seat
of war, and to destroy all merchant
ships owned by it's enemies that might
be found within any part OF that por-
tion of the high seas, and that it
warned all vessels of neutral, as well
as of belligerent ownership, to keep
out of the waters 1t had thus pro-
scribed 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 q 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
it's instruments, inaSmuch as the rules
prescribed by that law, rules founded
upon principles of humanity and .es-
tablished for the protection Of the lives
Of non -combatantS at sea, could not in
the nature of the case be observed by
such vessels.
1t based it's protest on the ground
that persons of neutral nationality and
vessels of neutral ownership would be
exposed to extreme and intolerable
risks, and that no right to close any
part of the high seas against their use
or to expose them to such risks, could
lawfully be asserted by any belliger-
ent government.
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-
trary, upon manifest and imperative
principles of humanity and has long
been established with the approval and
by the express assent of all civilized
nations.
Germany Disregards All Protests.
Notwithstanding the earnest protest
of our government, the imperial Ger
man government at once proceeded to
carry out the policy it had announced.
1t expressed the hope that the dangers
involved, at any rate the dangers to
neutral vessels would be reduced to a
minimum by the instructions which it
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 insuscept1ble or
being fulfilled.
In pursuance of the policy of sub
marine warfare against the commerce
Of it's adversaries, thus announced and
entered upon by the imperial German
government in spite of the solemn pro-
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
a that
has grown more and more ruthless,
more and more indiscriminate as the
months have gone by, less and less OBJ
servant of restraints of any kind; and
have delivered their attacks without
compunction against vessels of every
nationality and bound upon every sort
of errand.
Neutral-Owned Vessels Destroyed.
Vessels of neutral ownership, even
vessels of neutral ownership bound
from neutral port to neutral port, have
been destroyed, along with vessels of
belligerent ownership In conStantly-ln-
creaSing numbers.
Sometimes the merchantmen attacked
has been warned and summoned to,
surrender before being fired on or tor
pedoed; sometimes passengers or crews
have been vouchsafed the poor Secur-
ity of being allowed to take to the
ships boats before she was sent to
the bottom.
But again and again no warning had
been given; no escape even to the
ships boats allowed to those on board.
happen has happened. Tragedy has
followed tragedy on the seas in such
fashion, with such attendant circum-
stances, as to make it grossly evident
that warfare of such a sort, II war
fare it be, cannot be carried on with
out the most palpable violation of the
dictates alike of right and humanity.
Whatever the disposition and inten-
~t-1 n
ment, it has manifestly proved impos-
sible for it to keep such methods OF
attack upon the commerce of it's enc
mics within the bounds set by either
the reason or the heart of mankind.
In February of the present year, the
imperial German government informed
this government and the other neu-
trail governments of the world that it
had reason to believe that the gov
ernment of Great Britain had armed
all merchant vessels of British owner
ship, and had given them secret or
ders to attack any submarine of 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.
Germany Sets Aside Law of Nations.
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 government
claimed the right to set these under
standings aside under circumstances
which it deemed extraordinary.
Even the terms in which 1t an
nounced it's purpose thus still further
to relax the restraints it had previ
oLsly professed it's willingness and de
Sir tn operations
submarines carried the plain implica-
tion that at least vessels which were
not armed would be exempt from de-
struction without warning and that
personal safety would be accorded
their passengers and crews; but even
that limitation, if it was ever practi-
cable to observe it, has in fact consti-
tuted no check at all upon the de-
struction of ships of every sort.
Again and again the imperial Ger
nnan erovernment has given this gov