Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-04-21

been quickened and extended.
America Protests War Zone.
The Imperial Government will recall
Plat when, In February, 1915, it IN.
bounced ito intention of treating tho
waters surrounding Great Britain and
Ireland az embraced within the seat az
war and Of Destroying all merchant,
Phfps owned BY it, enemies that might
DO found within that some OF danger
end warned ill vessels. neutral 40 we'll
ts bellfgerent. 70 keep out Of tho wa.
fers thus prescribed, or to enter them
et their peril. the government Of the
United States earnestly protested.
1t took the position that such a pol.
Icy could not be pursued without con-
slant gross and palpable violations Of
The accepted law Of nations; particu-
larly IT submarine craft were to be en-
ployed as it's instruments, inasmuch
Do the rules prescribed by that law.
rules founded on the principles of hui
nan1ty and established for the protec.
ton of lives Of noncombatants at sea.
could not in the nature Of the case be
observed by such vessels.
It based it's protest on the ground
Fhat persons Of neutral nationality and
sessels of neutral ownership would be
exposed to extreme and intolerable risk
md that no right to close any part Of
the high seas could lawfully be a.
Ierted by the Imperial Government IN
lhe circumstances then existing.
Based on Law Of Humanity.
The law Of nations in these matters
upon which the government Of the
United States based that protest IL
not Of recent origin or founded upon
merely arbitrary principles set ur by
convention. It IL based, on the con-
trary, upon manifest principles of hui.
manity and has long been established
with the approval and by the express
assent Of all civilized nations.
The Imperial Government, notwith-
standing, persisted In carrying out the
policy announced. expressing the hope
that the dangers involved at any rate
to neutral vessels would be reduced
70 a minimum by the instructions
which it had issued to tho command.
prs Of it's submarines end assuring the
government of the United States that
i would take every possible precau-;
l1on. both to respect the rights of neu-!
trails and to safeguard tho lives of nom
eombatants.
+ Carry On Ruthless Destruction.
In pursuance Of this policy of sub
marine warfare against the commerce.
pf It's adversaries, thus announced and!
thus entered upon In despite Of thei
solemn protest of the government of
Tho United States, the commanders of
the Imperial Governments underseai
vessels have carried on practices OF
such ruthless destruction which have;
made it more and more evident as the'
months have gone by that the I'm
per1al Government has found it imprac-i
ticable to put any such restraints upon
them as it had hoped and promised toi
put. !
Assurances Are Dieregarded. !,
Again and again the Imperial Gov;
eminent has given its solemn assur-!
lnces to the government of the United;
States that at least passenger shipsl
would not be thus dealt with, and yet!
It has repeatedly permitted it's UNDER
Sea commanders to disregard those!
assurances with entire impunity.
As recently as February last it gave
eotice that it would regard all armed
Merchantmen owned by it's enemies asj
ntt of the naval forces Of its enemies!
I'D deal with them as with men Of,
war; thus, at least, by implications
pledging itself to give warning to ves-
pels which were not armed, and to ac-;
pord security of life to their passen-i
gers and crews, but even this limita-;
lion their submarine commanders:
have recklessly ignored.
No Escape Allowed to Crews.
Vessels of neutral ownership, even
vessels of neutral ownership bound
from neutral port to neutral port,
have been destroyed along with the
vessels of belligerent ownership in
constantly increasing numbers. Some.
times the merchantmen attacked have.
been warned and summoned to sur
render before being fired upon or tor
pedoed; sometimes their passengers
and crews have been vouchsafed the
poor security of being allowed to take
to the ships boats before the ship was
sent to the bottom. But again and
tkain no warning has been given, no
escape even to the ships boats al
lowed to those on board.
! American Death Roll Grows.
Great liners like the Lusitania and
Arabic and passenger boats like the
Sussex have been attacked without q
moments warning, even before they
have even become aware that they
we're in the presence of an armed ship