The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-04-25

out moments warning, often before
they have even become aware that
they were in the presence of an armed
ship of the enemy, and the lives Of
noncombatants, passengers and crew
nave been destroyed wholesale, and in
manner which the government of
the United States cannot but regard
as wanton and without the slightest
color of justification.
NO limit of any kind has in fact
been set to their indiscriminate pur-
suit and destruction of merchantmen
OF all kinds and nationalities within
the waters which the imperial govern
ment has chosen to designate as ly-
Ing within the seat Of war
American Toll Grows.
The roll of Americans who have
lost their lives upon ships thus at
tackled and destroyed has grown
month by month until the ominous toll
has mounted into the hundreds.
The government of the United
States has been very patient At
every stage of this distressing expert
ence of tragedy after tragedy it has
sought to be governed by the most
thoughtful consideration of the ex-
traordinary circumstances OF an I'M
precendented war and to be guided by
sentiments of very genuine friendship
for the people and government of Ger
many.
fnl tl,N ccSiXr Nv
plantations and assurances of the i'm
perial government as Of course given
in entire sincerity and good faith. and
has hoped, even against hope, that it
would prove to be possible for the i'm
perlal government so to order and con-
troll the acts of it's naval command
ers as to square it's policy with the
recognized principles of humanity as
embodied in the law of nations.
1T has made every allowance for
unprecedented conditions and has
been willing to wait until the facts
became unmistakable and were sus-
ceptible of only one Interpretation.
1T now owes it to just regard for
it's own rights to say to the imperial
government that that time has come
1t has become painfully evident to it
that the position which it took at the
very outset is inevitable namely, the
use of submarines for the destruction
of an enemy's commerce, is, of neces-
sity, because Of the character of the
vessels employed and the very meth
DDS of attack which their employment
of course involves. utterly incompat-
ible with the principles of humanity,
the g-established and incontrovert-
ible rights of neutrals and the sacred
immunities of noncombatants.
But One Course Open.
IF it is still the purpose of the
imperial government to prosecute re-
lentless and indiscriminate warfare
against vessels of commerce by the
use of submarines without regard to
what the government of the United
States must consider the sacred and
indisputable rules of international law
and the universally recognized dictates
OF humanity, the government of the
United States is at last forced to the
conclusion that there is but one course
it can pursue.
unless the imperial government.
should now Immediately declare and
effect an abandonment of it's presen.
methods OF submarine warfare against
passenger and freight-carrying vessels
the government Of the United States
can have no choice but to sever Dip
lomatic relations with the German en-
pire altogether. This action the gov
eminent of the United States con-
with the greatest reluctance,
but feels constrained to take in behalf
OF humanity and the rights of neutral
(Signed) LANSING