The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1916-04-27
OF THE CONGRESS-:

GENTLEMEN OF THE CONGRESS-:
A situation has arisen In the foreign
relations of the country. of which IL is
my plain duty to inform you very
Z IL win be recalled that in February.
DIE. the imperial German government
anVOunced its intention to treat the
Easers surrounding Great Britain and
OF war. and to destroy all merchant
ships owned by its enemies that might
be found within any part of that por-
ton of the high seas. and that it
warned all vessels of neutral, as well
as Of belligerent ownership. to keep
out of the waters II had thus pro-
scribed OF else enter them at their
peril.
says Gseas Assses Are Cestaaa.
The government of the United States
tion that such a policy could not be
pursued without the practical certain
ty of gross and palpable violation of
the law OF nations. particularly if sub
marine craft were to be employed
its Instruments, inasmuch as the rules
prescribed by that law, rules founded
upon principles of humanity and es
tablished for the protection of the lives
OF non -combatants 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 intOlers BILE
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 asserted by any belliger-
ent government.
The law Of nations in these matters.
United states based its protest. is not
Of recent origin. or founded upon
merely arbitrary principles set up by
convention. 1t Is based. on the con-
mil fzAt nd fvv,r, q iNya
principles Of humanity and has long
been established with the approval and
by the express assent Of all civilized
nations.
Germany DssregarAs All Pretests.
Notwithstanding the earnest protest
Of our government. the imperial Ger
man government at once proceeded to
carry out the policy 1t had announced.
1t expressed the hope that the dangers
involved, at any rate the dangers to
minimum by the inst ructions which 1t
had issued to its submarine command
ers and assured the government of the
United States that it would take ev-
the rights Of neutrals, and to safe
guard the lives of nom -combatants.
What has actually happened in the
year year, winch h has n since ea elapsed PSI, una; mas
fled, those assurances insusceptible OF
In pursuance of the policy of sub
marine warfare against the commerce
of its adversaries. thus announced and
entered upon by the imperial German
government in spite of the solemn pro-
test of this government. the command
ers Of German undersea vessels have
attacked merchant ships with greater
and greater activity. not only upon
the high seas surrounding Great Brit
could encounter them. in a way that
has grown more and more ruthless
more and more indiscriminate as the
month. have gone by. less and less OBJ;
have delivered their attacks without
compunction against vessels of every
nationality and bound upon every sort
of errand.
Neatral-Owaea vesseIs Destroyed.
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 cOnstantly-in-
creasing numbers.
has been warned and summoned to
surrender before being fired on or tor
pedoed: sometimes passengers or crews
have been vouchsafed the poor secur-
it, of being allowed to take to the
ships boats before she was sent to
the bottom.
But again and again no warning had
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 attendant circum-
stances. as to make it grossly evident
that warfare of such a sort, If war
fare 1t be, cannot be carried on WIN
out the most palpable violation of the
dictates alike of right and humanity.
Whatever the disposition and inten-
tion Of the imperial German govern
ment, it has manifestly proved impos.
mo
attack upon the commerce of Its enc
mics within the bounds set by either
the reason or the heart of mankind.
In February of the present year. the
imneriai German government informed
this government and the other neu-
trail governments Of the world that II
had reason to believe that the gov,
ernment of Great Britain had armed
all merchant vessels of British owner
ship, and had given them secret or
ders to attack any submarine OF the
enemy they mi ght encounter upon .he
government felt Justified in the cir
cumstances in treating al! merchant l.
men of belligerent ownership as anY
have the right to destroy without
warning.
Germany Sets Aside Law of Nations.
The law of nations has long recog-
nized the right of merchantmen 10
carry arms for protection ana 10 use
such circumstances at their own risk:
hut the imperial German government
claimed the right to set these under
standings aside under circumstances
"bich Il deemed extraordinary.
Even the terms In which IT an.
nounced its purpose thus still further
10 relax the restraints 1t hnd prev q
oLsiy professed its willingness and DC ;.
sire to put upon the operations of Its
sUbmarines carried the plain impllca- :
tion that at least vessels when were
not armed would be exempt from de :
.truction without warning and that
nersonal safety would be accorded
their passengers. and crews; bu. EYE even
c.hie to observe 1t, has in fact consti-
tuted no check at all upon the de-
struction of ships of every sort.
Again and again the Imperial Her I,
man government has given TINS gov
oIes viii Case Again at Issue.