The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1916-04-29

eminent OF the United States tnet u
would take every possible precaution.
both TO respect the rights OF neutrals
and to safeguard the lives OF noncom'
batants.
what has actually happened In the
year which has since elapsed has
shown that those hopes were not 1usti.
ned. those assurances insusceptible OF
being fulfilled In pursuance OF the
policy OF submarine warfare against
the commerce OF IT. adversaries. thus
announced and entered upon By the
imperial German government IN
despite Of the solemn protest of this
government. the commanders OF Ger
man undersea vessels have attacked
merchant ships with greater and great
or activity. not only upon the high
seas surrounding Great Britain and
Ireland, but wherever they encounter
Them, in way that has grown more
and more ruthless, more and more
indiscriminate as the months nave
gone by, less and less observant OF re-
straints OF any kind; and have deliv-
cred their attacks without compuno-
ton against vessels of every nationality
and bound upon every sort OF er-
rand. Vessels OF neutral ownership
even vessels Of neutral ownership
bound from neutral port to neutral
port. have been destroyed along with
vessels OF belligerent ownership. IN
increasing numbers. Some
times the merchantmen attacked mas
been warned and summoned to surf
render before being fred on or tor
pedoed: sometimes passengers or
crews have been vouchsafed the poor
security of being allowed to take to
the ships boats before she was sent
to the. bottom. But again and again
no warning has been 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 at
tendant circumstances. as to make 1t
grossly evident that warfare OF such
sort, II warfare 1t be, cannot be car
ried on without the most palpable
violation of the dictates alike Of right
and OF humanity. Whatever the dispo-
sition and intention of the imperial
German government, 1t has manifestly
proved impossible for 1t to keep such
methods of attack upon the commerce
Of It's enemies within bounds set by
either the reason or the heart OF man.
kind.
AZ to Armed Merchantmen.
In February Of the present year the
imperial German government informed
this government and the other neutral
governments Of the world that 1t had
reason to believe that the government
of Great Britain had armed all mer-
chant vessels of British ownership and
had given them secret orders to attack
any submarine of the enemy they
might encounter upon the seas, and
that the imperial German government
felt justified in the circumstances in
treating all armed merchantmen OF
belligerent ownership as auxiliary YES
sells of war, which 1t would have the
right to destroy without warning.
"The law of nations has long rec
ognized the right of merchantmen to
carry arms for protection and to use
them to repel attack, though to use
them, In such circumstances, at their
own risks; but the imperial German
government claimed the right to set
these understandings aside In circum.
stances which II deemed extraordi-
nary. Even the terms in which II an
nounced its purpose thus still furth-
er to relax the restraints It had pre-
viously professed it's willingness and
desire to put upon the operations Of its
submarines carried the plain impli-
cation that at least vessels which
were not armed would still be exempt
from destruction without warning and
that personal safety would be accord.
ed their passengers and crews: but
even that limitation, II 1t was ever
practicable to observe It, has In fact
constituted no check at all upon the
destruction of ships OF every sort.
Again and again the imperial Ger.
man government has given this gov.
eminent its solemn assurances that Of
least passenger ships would not be
thus dealt with, and yet 1t has again
and again permitted its undersea com
manders to disregard these assur
ances with entire impunity. Great
liners like the Lusitania and the Ar
able and mere ferry boats like ths
Sussex have been attacked without
a moments warning. sometimes be
| fore they had even become aware tina
| they were In the presence Of an arnst
vessel OF the enemy. and the lives o
noncombatants. passengers and crew
have been sacrificed Wholesale, In
manner which the government Of tn
United States cannot regard q
wanton and without the slightest CO
or Of justification. No limit OF an
kind has In fact been set to the indil
criminate pursuit and destruction 4
merchantmen OF all kinds and nation
alities within the waters. constant
extending In area. where these .ope
atoms have been carried on, and Il
roll OF Americans who have lost the
lives on ships thus attacked and a
stroyed has grown month BY mont
until the ominous toll has mounted 4
IN fha hundrcda - y, II.