Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-04-28

OUT moments warning, often before
they have even nscome aware that
they were in the presence of an armed
ship of the enemy, and the lives Of
noncombatants, passengers and crew
have been destroyed wholesale, and in
a manner which the government of
the United States cannot but regard
as wanton and without the slightest
color of justification.
No limit of any kind has in fact
been set to their indiscriminate pur-
suit and destruction of merchantmen
OF all kinds and nationalities within
the waters which the imperial govern
ment has chosen to designate as ~
ing within the seat of war.
American Toll Grows.
The roll of Americans who have
lost their lives upon ships thus at
tackled and destroyed has grown
month by month until the ominous toll
has mounted into the hundreds.
The government of the United
States has been very patient. At
every stage of this distressing expert
ence of tragedy after tragedy 1t has
sought to be governed by the most
thoughtful consideration of the ex-
traordinary circumstances of an I'M
precendented war and to be guided by
sentiments of very genuine friendship
for the people and government of Ger
many.
1t has accepted the successive ex-
plantations and assurances of the i'm
perial government as of course given
in entire sincerity and good faith, and
has hoped, even against hope. that it
would prove to be possible for the inn
perial government so to order and con-
troll the acts of it's naval command.
ers as to square it's policy with the
recognized principles of humanity as
embodied in the law of nations
1t has made every allowance for
unprecedented conditions and has
been willing to wait until the facts
became unmistakable and were sus,
ceptible of only one Interpretation.
1t now owes it to just regard for
its own rights to say to the imperial
government that that time has come
1t has become painfully evident to il
that the position which it took at the
very outset is inevitable, namely, the
use of submarines for the destruction
of an enemy's commerce, is, of neces.
| sity, because of the character of the
vessels employed and the very meth,
DDS of attack which their employment
| of course involves. utterly incompat
ible with the principles of humanity
the long established and incontrovert
ible rights of neutrals and the sacred
immunities of noncombatants.
But One Course Open.
If it is still the purpose Of the
imperial government to prosecute re
lentless and indiscriminate warfare
against vessels of commerce by the
use Of submarines without regard tt
what the government of the United
States must consider the sacred anC
indisputable rules of international Law
and the universally recognized dictates
of humanity, the government of til,
United States is at last forced to tn,
conclusion that there is but one course
it can pursue
Unless the imperial government
should now Immediately declare. anC
! effect an abandonment of it's presen
methods of submarine warfare agains
passenger and freight-carrying vessels
the government of the United State,
can have no choice but to sever dip
lomatic relations with the German EN-
pire altogether. This action the gov
eminent of the United States con
templates with the greatest reluctance
but feels constrained to take in behal
of humanity and the rights of neutra
nations.
(Signed) LANSING"