TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1916-07-20
THE EMBARRASSING SUBMARINE

ANnlSdk IDuht
II with the war in its present desperate stage there is any chance for
the enjoyment in Germany of IN ironic development, the merchant sub
American opinion on the subject of submarines was not being developed
logically or consistently, and that if the nation did not find itself en-
barrased it would be by great good fortune. The occasion of embarass-
ments SEEM to be near at hand.
The Deutschland is a peaceabe boat, and its character having been
ascertaned by inspection, its status is recognized in Washington. It is an
abnormal and extraordinary merchant ship, but IT is a merchant ship and
it il entitled to protection. The fact that in normal times it would not be
used As a freight O passenger carrier does not make it an outlaw.
In July 1914, shipping goods to the United States by submarine would
have been like delivering 5 cents worth of popcorn m a taxieabj but IN
july, 1915, shipping goods to the United States from Germany in this fashion
is not only a profitable but for most articles, the only possible method of
shipment
keeps on one plane. The fact that it can seek a plane to suit its pur-
poses does not faint it and does not, seemingly deprive it legally Of pro-
lection against destruction without visit and search. But an enemy war
ship cannot take a chance on a submarine
A surface warship may disguise itself to decoy an enemy. One of the
German raiders that escaped the British guard was built to have the APP
|pearance of a tramp steamer. A submarine evidently cannot even establish
its true character a a merchant.
III blockading warhhp sighting a submarine, tried to challenge it and
ascertain its character before proceeding to deal with it, the identity Of the
submarine probably would be revealed by a torpedo.
An invioable and mmstakabe indication Of character, never to be as
sumed by war submarines and always to be prominently displayed by mer-
chant submarines, would be needed before a cruiser could treat the
merchant a S a merchant How is a boat that shows only a periscope when
it has reason to think it is in dangerous waters, and which shows nothing
at all when the danger is apparent, to reveal a prominent distinguishing
will not employ the strategens permitted the surface war boats, and never
win violate the distinguishing mark of the merchant submarine to decoy
an enemy, and how, even then, is the enemy cruiser to know with what
kind Of a submarine it is dealing?
If it be agreed that the cruiser cannot be asked to take a chance and
get a torpedo, how "a the merchant submarine be protected by the laws
which protect the surface merchant? There have been some Americans
who have maintained that it was outside of reason to apply infexibe laws
To a question in hux. Our administration, holding another theory. has
said that the laws were plain; the submarine must adjust itself to them.
Is the submarine now to ask that, the laws being plain, the enemy
adjust. itself to them? Our port regulations permit a merchant vessel to
carry guns for defense. When attention was called to the fact that if a
submarine were to yield to the law of visit and search it exposed itself to
this defensive armament and could be sunk with one discharge of a small
gun, the reply was that the laws existed and it was not the privilege Of
the submarine to have changes made for it.
A submarine must take chances in approaching and challenging a
Extensively armed merchantmen, but a cruiser will not take any chances in
approaching and challenging a peaceable submarine.
This is the irony as the Germans see il. and if the Deutschland or any
other peaceabe submarine carrying goods to the United States is sunk
without warning they will make themselves nightly unpleasant to Amer
leans
II we had admitted that laws had to give way at times in the face
of facts, we should not have the embarrassment of finding our own words
used IS protection for a class Of merchant to which it seems impossible
Ito give protection.
If we had said that a new instrument was in Isl and that we had
no idea how it ultimately would affect sea law if we had shown any dis
position to compromise, we should not now have the submarine looking to
us for a guard against dangers from which it cannot be protected.
As matters stand, IL the Deutschland is sunk without warning, it will
be- in the expressed opinion Of the American government, IN outrage
against the laws of the seas, and if an American passenger were on board
it would be al outrage against the United States.
Our government will try to see to it that no American passengers are
lon board. We may say that it is not our boat; it carries non Of our in
forests; it is a venture wholly alien to US, and Germany, if injured, must
deal with her enemy But President Wilson has pleaded not for the special
interests of the United States, but for the interests Of humanity, and
humanity does not evaporate out Of the merchant submarine the moment
it submerges.
We had the difficult problem Of dealing with a new force which may
change the ways of the world. 1t had to be dealt with in u fashion which
would preserve the lives of innocent and peaceable people and which would
keep the seas open to travel and trade. By affronting the sentiment II
the world with the Lustania, the Sussex, etc, the Germans made the
problem more difficult Our government made it more difficult by applying
incorporating rules to a condition which must modify them.
The result Is that we face embarrassment. What do nj words mean
We have convinced ourselves that the submarine is essentially immoral
except as it is used in defense Of a coast against attack by warships. and
having so decided, we have taken a coursew which seems straight until II
runs into obstacles which people without prejudice could see were waiting
for it. Then our course seems very crooked.