Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1916-04-28


A situation has arisen in the foreign
relations OF the country, OF which It 10
my plain duty to inform you very
1t win be recalled that in February.
1915 the Imperial German government
its intention to treat the
waters surrounding Great Britain and
ireland as embraced within the seat
Of war, and to destroy all merchant
ships owned by Its enemies that might
be found within any part of tina por-
ton OF the high seas, and that It
warned all vessels OF neutral, as we'll
as Of belligerent ownership, to keep
out Of the waters II had thus pro-
seribed or else enter them at their
peril.
Says Gross Abuses Are Certain.
The government of the United states
earnestly protested. 1t took the posi-
ton that such a policy could not be
pursued without the practical certain
~ OF gross n palpable violation OF
marine craft were to be employed as
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
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 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 asserted by any belliger-
ent government.
The law of nations in these matters,
upon which the government of the
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-
trary, upon manifest and imperative
principles Of humanity and has long
been established with the approval and
BY the express assent of all civilized
nations.
Germany D~IBreEsrds All Protests.
Notwithstanding the earnest protest
OF our government, the imperial Ger
man government at ono proceeded to
carry out the policy II had announced
II expressed the hope hat the dangers
involved, at any rate the dangers to
neutral vessels, would be reduced to a
n by the instructions which II
had issued to its submarine command
ers and assured the government of the
United States that 1t would take ev-
cry possible p%recautiOn both to respect
the rights Of neutrals, and to safe
guard the lives Of non-combatants.
What has actually happened in the
year which has since elapsed, has
shown That those hopes were not 1usti-
fled, those assurances i~nsusceptible of
being fulfilled.
In pursuance Of the policy of sub
marine warfare against the
Of its ad~versaries, thus and
entered upon by the imperial German
government in spite of the solemn pro-
test of this government, the command
erB of German undersea vessels have
attacked merchant ships with greater
and greater activity, not only upon
the high Reas surrounding Great Brit
ain 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 have gone by, less and less OBJ
servant of restraints of any kind; and
have delivered their attacks without
conjunction against vessels of every
nationality and bound upon every sort
OF errand.
NeutraI-Owned Vessels 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-tn-
creasing numbers.
Sometimes the merchantmen attacked
has been warned and summoned to
surrender before being fired on or tor
pedoed; sometimes passengers or crews
have been Vouchsafed the poor secur-
itS of being allowed to AXE to the
ships boats before she was sent to
But again and again no warning had
been given; no escape ever 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 sue
fashion, with such attendant oircum-
stances, as to make 1t grossly evident
that warfare of such a sort, II war
fare it be, cannot be carried on with
out the most palpable violation of the
dictates alike of right and humanity.
Whatever the disposition and inten-
siOn Of the imperial German govern
ment. II has manifestly proved impos-
sible for II to keep such methods of
attack upon the commerce of its enc
-RthgH The hofpdq aaf hu affhar
the reason or the heart of
In February OF the present year. the
imperial German government Informed
this government and the other neu-
traI of the world that IL
had reason to believe that the gov
nme 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 might encounter upon the
e and that the imperial German
government felt justified In the cir
cumstances in treating all merchant
men OF belligerent ownership as aux
Hilary vessels of W :, which II would
have the right to destroy without
warning.
Germany Sets Aside Law Of Nations.
The law of nations has long recog-
nized the right OF merchantmS on to
carry arms for protection and to use
them to repel attacks, to use them in
such circumstances at their own risk
but the imperial German government
claimed the right to set these under
standings aside under circumstances
which II deemed extraordinary'
Even the terms in which II a n
ounce its purpose thus still further
10 relax the restraints 1t had previ
oLsly professed its willingness and de
Rire to put upon the operations Of It's
submarines carried the plain implica-
tion that at least vessels which were
not armed would be exempt from De
Gtruction without warning and that
personal safety would be accorded
their passengers and crews; but even
that limitation, If 1t was ever praeti-
cable to observe II, has in fact consti-
tuted no check at all upon the de-
struction OF ships of every sort.
Again and again the Imperial Ger
man government has given TINS gov