The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-04-28

v
and more iHdiscTimlnate III the months
have gone by. Iesg and hess OipseFyazs
OF restraints Vt any hind: and have
delivered their attacks without com.
punction against vessels Of every ma
tionallty and hound upon every sort Of
eiTand.
Neutral Vessels Destroyed.
Vessels OF neutral ownsFshIp. even
vessels u neutral ownership bound
from neutral port to neutral port. have
been destroyed along with yeilsels of
belligerent ownership in constantly In
creasing Numbers. Sometimes the
merchantmen attacked has been
warned and summoned To surrender
before being fired upon or torpedoed:
sometimes passengers or crews have
been youchsafed tho poor security a.
being allowed TO take to the ships
boats before she was sent to the bot.
tom.
But again and again no warning
has been given. no escape even TO The
ships boats allowed TO those on board.
What this government ioresaw must
happen has happened, Tragedy has
followed tragedy on the seas In such
fashion. with such attendant eircum-
stances, M TO make II grosaly evident
that warfare OF such n sort. II warfare
II be. cannot be carried on without the
most psipsble violation OF the dictates
alike OF right and humanity. What.
ever the dispoaition aud intention OF
the imperial German government, 1t
has manifestly proved impossible for II
TO keep such methods OF attack upon
the commerce OF its enemies within
the bounds set by either the reason or
the heart OF mankind.
In February OF the present year the
Imperial German government informed
this government and the other neutral
governments Of the world that u had
reason to believe that the government
OF Great Britain had armed all NOR.
chant yaSsala Ot ntltish axnarship and
had given them secret orders 10 attack
any submarine OF the enemy they
might encounter upon the seas and
that the Imperial German government
felt justified Ia the circumstances In
treating all armed merchantmen OF
belllgerent ownership as auxiliary YES.
sells OF war, which 1t would have the
right TO destroy without warning.
The Law OF nations has long recog.
nized the right OF merchantmen to
carry arms for protection. TO use them
to repei attack though to use them In
such circumstances at their own risk
but the Imperial German government
claimed the right TO set these under
standings aside In circumstances
which II deemed extraordinary Even
the terms In which II announced Its
purpose thus still further to relax the
restraints II had previously professed
its willingness and desire to put upon
the operations OF Its submarines car
ried the plain implication that at least
vessels which were not armed would
still be exempt from destruction with
out warning and that personal safety
would be accorded their passengers
nnd crews. but even that limitation.
IL II was ever practicable to observe
il, has in fact CONSTITUTED. no check at
all upon the destruction OF ships Of
every sort
Again aud again the Imperial Ger
man government has siyen this gov
eminent its solemn assurances that az
least passenger ships would not We
ihus dealt with, and yet II has again |
and again permitted It's undersea com.
to disregard hose assurances
with entire immunity. Great liners like
the Lust'ania and he Arabic and mere !
Jerry boats Hike the Sussex have been
attacked without \ moments warning, !
'ometlmes before they had even be-
come aware that they wore In the pres.
ence OF An armed vessel Of the enemy
and the lives OF noncnmbanart pas.
scngers and crew have been sacrificed
VII esale In n n,saner which the suy
crnwent ~ the United ss'Stes cannp, !
IN: regard vs. wNnton ard withou, tho |
slightest color OF Justification No I
limit ~ amy Kind has in flct been So
. the indiscrmuate pursuit and de-
,truc'tou of merchantmen Of all kinds |,
and ratioralities within the waters. |
coNgtan,ly extending IN AREA. where |
these ops catiors have been carried on; /
and thN roll 81 NmericanS who have 7
inst tha}e lives ou ships jhus attacked I
md destrosnd hrs grovI r'cn'h by
WcrtN u"ul Ia omino19 ,oll has
into N hundreds
/. 6. Government Has Been Patient;
Recent events make TIA CONCLUSION !
ncylta bic that Il ls only one instance.
even hough il b. one OF the most *,
IRENE and distressing Instances. Of I
he spirit and method ~ warfare I
which the Imperial German govern
nent has mistakenly adopted. ard
which from the FRS, exposed hat GOV I
arnment 10 the r"proach OF thrust If !
vi neutral riga's aside In pursuit OF .
is Immediate objects.
The government OF the United I
States has been very patient. Al every I,
stage OF this Distressing experience OF 1
tragedy after tragedy. in which its
own citizens were involved, Il has |
sought 10 be restrained from any ex. |