New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-17
GERMAN U.BOAT PROMISES
They Do Not Harmonic with Mr..
Wilson's Rhetoric
l;,o, ~ The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: wasn't it just perfectly love-
w." said a charming young lady TO-
day, "of our dear sailor boys to save
the women and babies after the dread
full German submarine had sunk the
Stephano?"
Can you not imagine the Kaiser, Won
Tirpitz, Count Zeppelin and Won oe.h-
mann-Hollweg also saying gleeiuiiy
"How perfectly lovely" that the united
States should send seventeen fleet de-
strovers 70 watch the U-bcat do her
barbarous work, and then rescue the
messengers. when they had taken 10
the boats. from their perilous plight
Adrift in open boats on rough sea-
what would have been their fate IL q
United States torpedo boat had not
been so conveniently present when the
Stephano was sunk? 1t is too horrible
to contemplate. American lives as well
as American property would have been
lost.
The present activities OF the o-oo
are evidently an answer to President
Wilson's note of April 10, 1916, that
the use of submarines for the destruc-
ton Of an enemy's commerce is, OF ne
cessity, because of the very character
of the vessels employed and the very
methods of attack which their employ
ment Of course involves, utterly IN
compatible with the principles OF hu-
manity, the long established and IN
controvertible rights of neutrals and
the sacred immunities Of non-comoa-
tants."
The principles Of international law
and Americas stand on the sacred
rights of humanity were also carefuIly
embodied in our note Of May IL, 1919
shortly after the Lusitania massacre
ut is virtually impossible for the ON
GERS of a submarine to visit mer-
chairman at sea and examine her
papers and cargo. II is virtually i'm
possible to make q prize of her, and II
they cannot put prize crew on poard
Of her, they cannot sink her without
leaving her crew and all on board OF
her to the mercy Of the sea in her
small boats. American citizens act
within their indisputable rights in tax
ing their ships and travelling Wherever
their legitimate business calls them
upon the high seas, and exercise those
rights in what should be the we'll Justl-
fed confidence that their lives will not
be endangered by acts done In clear
violation of universally acknowledged
international obligations" The "indls-
putable rights" are so clearly stated
here that to the man in the street 1t Is
only too evident that these rights
have been trsmplcd upon, and but for
the timely appearance of American war
vessels on the scene a horrible massa-
ere would have been enacted at our
very shores. Our navy very naturally
serves humanitarian purposes, but not
even a U-boat commander can expect
the American navy to keep in his wake
and so assist him in his disbolical WORK.
Was Mr.. Bryan right when he told
the Austrian Ambassador that the
notes we're for home consumption
Germany apparently still thinks so. If
these notes mean anything, why does
the President now say that the Ger
man government will be held to the
complete fulflment of its promises!
If any promises were given, its actions
of last Sunday clearly prove that It's
promises, like pie crust, were meant TO
be broken.
We are Inundated before the world
because Of our vaporings. high sound
ing phrases which mean nothing. Where
is our sense Of fair play1 When the
German admiral threatened Admiral
Dewey at Manila Bay Captain Chiches-
ter of the British warship there
cleared for action and stood by Dewey
The British captain saw the injustice
and fearlessly acted at once according
TO his traditions, with the good results
that are now a matter of history. II
we are to be respected we must assert
our rights. 1t is by our righteous &C
ton to-day that neutrals will know us
and act accordingly should we ever be-
come involved in war with another
nation. L. H. ~
Springfield, Mass, Oct. 10, 1916.