The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-04-21
Wilson Tells Congress
Why Break Is Imminent
Gernaanys Long Course of Warfare Against Merchant
Vessels and Repeated Violation of Solemn Assurances
Cited by President as Reasons for Sending w.
tinatun7 to Germany
tir1atun7 to Germany.

marine warfare against he commerce
OF its adversGrieS. thus announced and
e tered upon by the imperial German
government in spite OF the solemn
protest Of this government, the COM
manders Of German undersea vessels
have attacked merchant ships with
greater and greater activity, not only
uron the high seas surrounding Great
Britain and Ireland but wherever theF
could encounter them. in Way ina,
&as grown more d d more ruthless
more and more iudiscriminate. as the
months have gone by. less and less OBJ
servant of restraints OF any kind: and
have .ielia cred their attacks without
.ccmDu.- ct:on against vessels Of every
nationality and bound upon every sort
Of errand.
"yesscls of neutral ownership, even
vessels of neutral ownership bound
from eutral port to neutral port, have
been destroyed along with vessels Of
belligerent ownership. IN constantly
increasing numbers.
sometimes the merchantmen at
tackled has beea warned and summon
Ell to surrender before being fired Or
CT torpedoed; sometimes passengers
or crews have been vouchsafed the
poor security of being allowed to take
to the ships boats before she was
sent to the bottom. But again aud
again no warni 6 has been given, no
escape even to the ships boats al
owed to those on board.
Gross and Palpable.
what this government foresaw
must happen has happesed. Tragedy
has followed tragedy on the seas IN
such fashion, with such atteadant Cir
cumstances. as to make it grossly evl-
seas and that the imperial govern
warfare it be, can not be carried on
without the most palpable violations
of the dictates alike of right and hu-
manity.
Whatever the disposition and in
te. ton of the imperial German gov
ernment it has manifestly proved i'm
possible for it to keep such methods
OF attack upon the commerce Of its
enemies within the bounds set by eth
er the reason or the heart OF man
kind.
In February OF the present yea.
the imperial Germaa government IN
formed this government and the other
neutral governments Of the world that
it had reason to believe that the gov
ernment of Great Britain had armed
all merchant vessels of British own
ership AID had given them secret Or
dens to attack any submarine OF the
enemy they might encounter upon the
seas and tha the imperial govern
ment felt justified in the circumstances
in treati. all armed merchantmen OF
belligerent ownership as auxiliary YES
sells Of war, which it would have
right to destroy without warning.
THE law of nations has long recog-
nized the right of merchantmen tU
carry arms for protection ed t. use
them to repel attack, though to use
them in such circumstances at their
own risk: but the imperial German
government claimed the right to set
these ~derstandings aside in circum-
stances which it deemed eNtraordi-
rary.
Even the terms in which It an
nounced its purpose thus still further
10 relax the restraints it had previous
Il professed its willingness and de-
ire to put upon the operations of its
tion that at lea sevtsyWulorpavetBTA
submarines. carry the plain implica-
ton that at least vessels which were
not armed would still be exempt from
destruction without warning and that
personal safety would be accorded
their passengers and crews. but prar-
ticable to observe. has in fact consti-
tuted no check at all upon the de-
s;racticn OF ships CT every sort,
Promised to Reform.
Again and again the imperial Ger
r&a government h2s given this GOV
ar.ame~t It's solemn assurances that at
Ica~e passenger SHIPS would :0t be