The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-01-11
WAR AND THE UNITED STATES

| strictly neutral as has been the pol
| icy elected by this country, the gov
eminent has been brought face to face
with many serious problems which
| have arisen from the conduct of the
European war. One of these was the
seizure and detention by Great Britain
of vessels carrying American goods to
neutral ports in Europe. A protest
was made by Washington and on Jan
uary 10 Great Britain replied by Of
| fering reasonable redress for any mis-
take Of that nature.
| Early in February, Great Britain de-
| cided to seize grain and -four ship
ments to Germany even if intended fer
noncombatants, and two days later,
Germany declared the waters around
| Great Britain and Ireland to be a war
zone, and announced her purpose to
destroy every enemy merchant vessel
| discovered therein. Neutrals were
warned of the danger sure to follow.
| On February 6, the Atlantic liner Lusi-
tania made the passage from New
| York to Liverpool flying the American
| flag as a protection against hostile
submarines. On February 10, the
| United States sent notes to Germany
and Great Britain concerning Ameri-
can shipping in the war zone. Ger
many was warned against committing
| a breach Of the rules of naval warfare
| and Great Britain was reminded that
| serious consequences might follow the
use of the American flag by British
vessels. On February is, Germany Of
| fered to withdraw from her crusade
| against British merchant ships if the
British would permit the sending of
| food to the civilian population of Ger
many. On the same day, the British
| government seized the American ship
| Wilhelmina, bound for German port
with wheat for civilian consumption.
The German note in reply to the
| American protest against the subma-
rine blockade disclaimed all RESPONSE
| bility. Great Britain affirmed it's in
tention to send the Wilhelmina to
prize court. In replies to inquiries
| from the Washington government,
| neither Germany nor Great Britain
| showed any disposition to recede from
| the positions already announced. On
April II, the German ambassador pro-
| tested to the state department against
the attitude Of the United States to-
| ward the shipment Of war materials
and British treatment of American
! trade with Germany. On May 1 the
American oil carrier Gulfight was
sunk off the Scilly islands by a Ger
man submarine.
| Destruction Of the Lusitania.
! On May 7, the big transatlantic liner
Lusitania was sunk by German sub
marine off the coast of Ireland, with
a loss of nearly 1900 lives; including
upwards of a hundred Americans. On
May 13 the United States protested
against the German submarine policy
and declared it's intention of main
| tanning the rights of American citi-
| zens. On May Is the American steam
| er Nebraskan was seriously damaged
| by a torpedo off the south coast of
| Ireland. On May 2S the German reply
| to the United States note of protest
| in regard to the submarine policy in
the so-called war zone was received.
Final statement of the German posi-
| ton was reserved until q common ba-
sis of fact as to the status of the Lusi-
tania should be established On May
| 81 Germany made official announce
ment that the Gulfight had been sunk
| by a German submarine whose cap
tain failed to recognize the American
flag.
| On June 8 Secretary of State Will
liam j. Bryan resigned his Office to
avoid signing a second note of pro-
| test to Germany against submarine in
| reference with merchant ships. On
| the following day this note was sent
| and assurances were asked that in fu-
ture American ships and lives should
be safeguarded On June % the Brit
| ish government sent an official note
to the American ambassador explain
| ing efforts made to protect neutral
shipping. On June % the British
| steamer Armenian was destroyed by
| a German submarine off the coast of
southern England and a number Of
Americans in the crew lost their lives.
| On July Germany replied to the
second Washington note regarding
| the submarine war against merchant
ships, promising safety to United
States ships in the war zone if specif-
ically marked, and suggesting that the
American flag be placed on four hos
tile steamers for the safe transporta-
ton Of American passengers.
More Diplomatic Notes.
| On July 81 the United States sent
third note to Germany, with the state
ment that the German reply to a for
mer note had been very unsatisfac-
| tory" and that a repetition of the
acts complained of would be regarded
as deliberately unfriendly." On Aug
ust several notes from Great Brit
ain concerning interference with Amer
| lean trade in the war zone were
| made public, in which it was
claimed that Great Britain was do
ing nothing in violation of interna-
tional law. In the case Of the William
P. Frye, an American ship sunk by
| the Frinz Eitel Friedrich, January %,
Germany agreed tc furnish indemnity,
and the United States accepted the
offer and proposed that the matter be
| referred to The Hague court.