Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-02-17
BRITISH MERCHANT VESSELS
SECRETLY TURNED INTO
WARSHIPS

l1klnB lhtii cue lIOll Dllll1h
newspapers, says The Washington
Post, some American newspapers
which should know better are con-
cerned over tho proposal that mer-
chant vessels OF belligerent nations
shall not go armed They seem to
regard this proposal as an attempt to
change international law because
the right Of merchant vessels to
carry guns for defensive purposes
has been recognized from time inn
memorial.
They make no distinction between
vessel armed with small guns for
defense and vessel purporting to
be a merchantmen, but really armed
for offense, actually as effective as
warship, and operating under or
ders 10 attack the enemy.
The United States can never exact
satisfaction from any belligerent for
sinking an armed merchant vessel
carrying American passengers. 1t
has not even attempted to do SO.
The Lusitania case was compli-
Gated by tho fact that the British
government directed its vessels to
80 armed and to attack submarines.
II American life is to be protected
on tho high seas during this war, it
must be shown that the passengers
we're not travelling on warships or on
merchant ships so armed and di-
rected as to be practically warships.
If the United States were at war,
il would sink merchant vessels which
were armed TO the teeth and seeking
to destroy American warships Other
nations will do the same thing, as
they have q right to do.
Germany has given positive assur-
ance that liners win not be sunk
without affording protection to pas
scngers. Necessarily such liners
must not be armed, for arms trans
form the character of the vessel and
place it in the category Of warshipe.
Great Britain claims that its mer-
chant vessels are armed for defense
only, but the publication Of the
secret orders to merchant vessels
proves conclusiyely that these ves-
sells are armed for offense; that they
are directed to attack first when fol-
lowed by enemy submarines, and
that gun crews are placed on board
merchant vessels with instructions
10 conceal the armament and not to
wear their uniforms in neutral ports.
If these orders do not transform
merchant vessels into warshipa,
there is no sense in them. Why arc
masters directed to conceal the ar
mament in neutral ports il the arms
are solely for defense? Why are tho
gun crews directed to disguise their
identity If they are operating law
fully?
In asking belligerent nations to
disarm merchant vessels the United
States is taking the only practicable
course in protecting the lives Of It's
citizens. Armed vessels are war
ships, liable TO the dangers Of war.
Great Britains fraudulent use OF
merchant vessels as warships sub
! iects every passenger on board to
deadly danger---a greater danger
than IL the vessel were a fast cruiser,
| able TO escape
The secret arming Of merchant
| men by Great Britain is on a par
I with other unfriendly and treacher-
! ous acts toward neutrals. 1t Is to
! Great Britain's interest to embroil
( the United States and Germany II
! American passengers must be sacri-
/ feed to attain this object Great
Britain does not care. When Amer
| lean passengers embark in good faith
upon British merchant vessel and
! this vessel then uses its guns in an
attack upon a German submarine the
responsibility for the death of the
passengers lies upon Great Britain,
not upon Germany. The German
craft is a war vessel using no dis
/ guisc, and no American passengers
| are iured to take passage upon IL.
| The British vessel Is In plain truth
1 pirate, acting as such under the
direction OF the British government.
II employs the old tactics Of the
! pirate by masquerading as q harm
less, unarmed merchantmen until il
can use its guns upon the enemy
Now that the United States has OBJ
tanned from Germany unequivocal
assurances that passengers on I'M
armed merchant vessels will not be
placed in jeopardy when such vessels
observe the laws OF war. the next
step is to demand and obtain from
Great Britain an assurance that
! merchant vessels shall not be armed
II this assurance is not given, then
Americans must be warned that they
! take their lives in their own hands
! when they go aboard a British mer-
chant vessel. The presumption Is
chat such vessel is heavily armed
with gun crew on board, and undei
orders to destroy German sub
marines or be destroyed in the at
tempt
The suggestion Is made that Ger
man submarines will not stop 10 as
certain whether merchant vessels