Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-28
POWERS ARE NOTIFIED
BY STATE Department
u. S. Declares That Merchant Ships
Entering It's Ports Must Have
Nu'-Smament Whatever.

the position that under changed
conditions of naval warfare. mer-
chant ships should carry no arma-
ment whatever.
All the powers have been noti-
fed that unless they subscribe to
such principles armed merchant
men will be denied entry to
American ports except under the
conditions which apply to war
ships.
Summary of the Note.
Such a proposal now in the hands of
the belligerent governments has been
transmitted in a note which. while not
in actual language, is substantially as
follows:
It is assumed that all of the govern
of protecting their own subjects and
citizens who are non-combatants from
the hazards of submarine warfare.
hedHZlnG lne appalling lOsS OI lie OF
nom -comba tants which results from the
destruction of a merchant vessel with
out removing passengers and crews to
places of safety. which is held to be
violative of the principles of humanity
and Of international law, which should
govern maritime warfare. the United
States. at the same time, does not feel
that a belligerent should be deprived
Of the right to use submarines In view
of the usefulness which they have de-
cfr he Nf hA
ent war.
Proposals of United States.
That formula may be found COM
pletely within the rules of internation-
al law and of humanity which will re-
quire In its adoption only trifing
change in the practices which have OBJ
tanned in the past and before the war.
which formula would be just and fair
to all belligerents. 1t is proposed that:
F'irst-A non -combatant has the right
to traverse the high seas in a merchant
and rely upon the rules of interna-
tional law. and the principles of hu-
manity If the vessel is approached by
belligerent war vessel.
nationality should not be subject to
attack until the belligerent warship
has warned her to stopek
Should Halt When Ordered.
Third-Any belligerent-owned mer-
chant vessel should promptly obey any
order from belligerent warship to
stop.
Fourth-No such merchant vessel
should be fired upon unless she tries to
fee or to resist by force, and even in
such case any attack upon her by, the
warship must stop as soon as the flight
or resistance ceases
Fifth-Only in case it should be i'm
possible for military reasons for the
warship to supply a prize crew or to
convoy the merchant ship into port
will she be justified in sinking such
merchantmen. and in that case pas
sengers and crew must be removed to
a place of safety.
Difficulties Are Appreciated.
The State Department is fully appre-
ciative of the obstacles which the
adoption of these rules would place in
the way of the operations of the sub
marines because of their structural
weakness. Before the present war
maritime warfare on the high seas al
ways has been conducted by battleships
or cruisers carrying heavy guns.
1t Is true that merchantmen were
permitted to carry defensive armament.
but these were light compared with the
warships and did not change their ma
ture as merchant vessels. This was
based on the superior defensive
strength of the warships and the limi-
tatIon upon their ornaments was for
the purpose of limiting their power of
resistance to contact with pirates and
privateerS.
The introduction of the submarine
into naval warfart has changed ali of
this. This craft is almost without
powers of defense beyond the ability
to submerge to Escape an enemy
Light Gun Effective.
A gun even of light caliber on a mer-
chant ship successfully could defend
her against a submarine. There ara
now no more pirates. and the practice
of privateering has been abandoned by
civilized nations by general agree
ment.
Therefore. there can now be no rea-
son for the maintenance of even small
caliber guns on merchant ships unless
il is designed to make them superior to
submarines, ano thereby deprive that
class of warships of their undoubted
right with safety to warn and search
such merchantmen. In reality, there
fore, any such armament of merchant
vessel now might be regarded as Of
fensive armament.
II submarines should be required to
stop and search merchant vessels be-
fore attacking them and to remove
the passengers and crews to places of
safety, IL Is not fair that the subma-
rin he IN
themselves to destruction at the hands
of merchantmen.