Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-04-28

Sussex was manifestly indefensible
and caused a loss of life so tragical as
to make it stand forth as one of the
most terrible examples of the inhu-
manity of submarine warfare as the
commanders of German vessels are
conducting it, it unhappily does not
stand alone.
"On the contrary, the government OF
the United States is forced by recent
events to conclude that 1t is only one
instance, even though one of the most
extreme and most distressing in
stances, of the deliberate method and
spirit of indiscriminate destruction OF
merchant vessels, of all sorts, nation
alities and destinations, which have
become more and more unmistakable
as the activity of German undersea
vessels Of war has in recent months
been quickened and extended.
"The imperial government will re-
call that when, in February. 1915, it
announced it's intention of treating the
waters surrounding Great Britain and
ireland as embraced within the seat
of war and of destroying all merchant
ships owned by it's enemies that
might be found within that zone of
danger, and warned all vessels, neu-
trail as well as belligerent, to keep
out OF the waters thus prescribed or
to enter them at their peril, the gov
eminent of the United States earnest
ly protested.
Peril Was Shown.
1.-The government of the United
States took the position that such a
policy could not be pursued without
constant gross and palpable violation
Of the accepted law of nations, partic-
ularly II submarine craft were to be
employed as its instruments, inasmuch
as the rules prescribed by that law,
rules founded on the principles of hui
manity and established for the protec-
ton of the lives of noncombatants 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
risks: and that no right tosclose any
part of the high seas could lawfully
lie asserted by the imperial govern-
lnent IN the circumstances then exist
| ting.
The law Of nations in these mat
ters. upon which the government of
the United States based that 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 principles of hu
manity, and has long been established
with the approval and by the express
assent of all civilized nations.
Persists in Policy.
"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 re
duced to a minimum by the instruc
tions which it issued to the command
ers OF its submarines, and assuring
the government of the United States
that it would take every possible pre-
caution both to respect the rights 0
neutrals and to safeguard the lives o
noncombatants.
I'm pursuance of this policy of sub
marine warfare against the commerce
of it's adversaries, thus announced ant
thus entered upon in despite of tn
solemn protest of the government 0
the United States, the commanders 0
| the imperial governments underse
vessels have carried on practices c
! such ruthless destruction which hav
! made 1t more and more evident as tn
months have gone by that the in
| perial government has found it in
! practicable to put any such restrain
! upon them as it had hoped and prom
/. ised to put.
Again and again the imperial go
n ernment has given it's solemn assn
4 ances to the government of the Unite
= States that at least passenger shiI
;. would not be thus dealt with, and "
q it has repeatedly permitted it's unde
sea commanders to disregard those a
Il surances with entire impunity
!. "As recently as February last it gay
Il notice that it would regard all armt
a merchantmen owned by it's enemies ;
n part of the armed forces of it's adve
A saries and deal with them as men
. war, thus, at least by implicatio
! pledging itself to give warning to We
! sells which were not armed and to 6
= ford security Of life to their passe
- gers and crews; but even this limit
= ton their submarine commanders ha'
" recklessly ignored.
a. Neutral Vessels Sunk.
r. Vessels Of neutral ownership, ev,
re vessels of neutral ownership boul
Of lrom neutral port to neutral port, ha
n been destroyed along with vessels
belligerent ownership in constantly
Id creasing number. Sometimes the m,
Mt chantmen attacked have been warn
Is and summoned to surrender before
as ing fred on or torpedoed; sometim
ly their passengers and crews have be
NJ vouchsafed the poor security of bel
be allowed to take to the ships boats
to fore the ship was sent to the bottom
be But again and again no warni
le- has been given, no escape even
DR.. the ships boats allowed to those
mt board.
m Great liners like the Lusitania a
Arabic and mere passenger boats Il
he the Sussex have been attacked wi
n gratitude he owes this faithful 6