Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-04-20

Continued from Page One)
lives Of non-cambatants at sea, could
served by such vessels. 1t based its
protest on the ground that persons Of
neutral nationality and vessels of neu-
tral ownerships 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
as asserted by any belligerent govern
ment. 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 up
on 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 civ
iliZed nations.
Protests Ignored
Notwithstanding the earnest pro-
test of our government the Imperial
German government at once proceed
ed to carry out the policy it had an
nounced. 1t expressed the hope that
the dangers involved, at any rate the
dangers to neutral vessels, would be
reduced to a minimum by the instruc-
tions which it had issued to its subma-
rine commanders and assured the gov
ernment of the United States that it
would take every possible precaution
both to respect the rights of neutrals
and to safeguard the lives of non
comba tantS.
What has actually happened in the
year which has since elapsed has
shown that those hopes were not JUS
titled, those assurances insusceptible
of being fulfilled. The pursuance of
the policy of submarine warfare
against the commerce of its adversary,
thus announced and entered upon by
the Imperial German government in
spite Of the solemn protest Of this
government, the commanders of Ger
man underSea vessels have attacked
merchant ships with greater and
greater activity, not only upon the
high seas surrounding Great Britain
and Ireland. but wherever they could
encounter them, in a way that has
grown more and more ruthless. more
and more indiscriminate as the months
go hy, less and less observant of
restraints Of any kind; and have de-
livered their attacks without COM
junction against vessels Of every ma
tionality and bound upon every sort
of errand AS the vessels of neutral
ownership, even vessels of neutral
ownership bound from neutral port to
neutral port, have been destroyed
along with vessels Of helligerent own
ership in constantly increasing num-
hers.
Attacks without Warning
Sometimes the merchantmen attacked
has been warned and summoned to sur
render before being fired on or torpedoed
sometimes passengers or crews have
been vouchsafed the poor security of be-
ing allowed to take to the ships boats
before she was sent to the bottom. But
again and again no warning has beer
given, no escape even to the ships boats
allowed to those on board. What this
government foresaw must happen has
happened. Tragedy has followed tragedy
on the seas in such fashion. with such
attendant circumstances, as to make il
grossly evident that warfare of such a
sort, if warefare it be, cannot be carried
on without the most palpable violation OF
the dictates alike or right and of hu-
manty Whatever the disposition and in
tention of the imperial German govern
ment, it has manifestly proved impossible
for it to keep such methods of attack
upon the commerce of it's enemies within
the bounds set either by the reason or
the heart of mankind. In February of
the present year the imperial German
government informed this government
and the other neutral governments of the
world, that it had reason to believe that
the government of Great Britain had
armed all merchant vessels of British
ownership and had given them secret Or
ders to attack any submarine of the en-
and that the imperial German government,
felt justified in the circumstances in
treating all armed merchantmen of bel
lgerent ownership as auxiliary vessels OF
war, which it would have the right to
destroy without warning. The law OF
nations has long recognized the right OF
merchantmen to carry arms for protec-
ton and to use them to repel attack,
though to use them in such circum-
stances. at their own risk; but the i'm
periai German government claimed the
right to set these understandings aside
in circumstances which it deemed extra
ordinary. Even the terms in which it an
nounced it's purpose thus still further to
relax the restraints it had previously pro-
fessed it's willingness and desire to put
upon the operations of it's submarines
carried the plant implication that at
least vessels which were not armed
would still be exempt from destruction
without warning, and that personal safe
ty would be accorded their passengers
and crews; but even that limitation, If IL
were ever practicable to observe it, 1t
has in fact constituted no check at all
upon the destruction Of ships of every
sort.
Assurances Disregarded
Again and again the imperial German
government has given this government
its solemn assurances that at least pes.