The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-20
JOINT SESSION
CONTINUED From First pags.)

commanders and assured the govern
ncnt OF the United States that II
would take every possible precaution
both 10 respect the rights Of neutrals
and 10 safeguard the lives Of non
com hatants.
What has actually happened In the
wear. which has since elapsed, has
shown that those hopes We're not
justified those ASSURANCES iususcep-
tible Of being unalled. In pursuance
Of the policy Of submarine warfare
against the commerce of its adter-
saries thus announced and entered
upon by the imperial German gov
.crnment In spite OF the solemn pro-
test II th's government, the command
ers Of German undersea vessels have
attacked merchant ships with greater
Iand greater activity, not only upon
the high sens surrounding Great
Rrltain and Ireland, but wherever
they could encounter them. I'm n way
that has grown more and~1nore ruth
less more and more indisCriminate as
rthc months have gone by. less and less
r,bsevNaht OF restraints OF any kind
and have delivered their attacks with
out -compunction against vessels of
every nationality and bound upon
every SORT OF esrHnd.
All Neutrals Attacked.
Vessels Of neutral ownership, even
vessels Of neutral ownership bound
from neutral port to neutral port, have
been destroyed along with vessels of
belligerent ownership in constantly in
creasing numbers, Sometimes the
merchantmen attacked had been
warned and summoned to surrender
before being fired on or torpedoed:
sometimes passengers or crews have
tho uaCnTitU 9f
being allowed TO take 10 the ships
boats before she was sent to the bot
tom But again no warning has been
given, no escape even to the ships
boats allowed to those on board,
What this government foresaw
must happen has happened, Tragedy
has followed tragedy on the seas IN
such fashion. with such attendant cir
cumstances, as to make it grossly evil
dent that warfare of such a sort Il
warfare II be. cannot be carried on
without tho most palpahle violation
Of the dictates alike Of right and OF
humanity Whatever the disposition
and intention of the imperial Ger
man government, IL has manifastly
proved Impossible for II to keep such
methods OF attack upon ths com
rnerce Of It's enemies within tho bounds
set by either ths reason or the heart Oh
mankind,
Armed Merchantmen.
I'm February Of the present year the
Imperial German Government In
formed this govern Igaent and the Other
neutral governments of the world that
Il had reason to believe tho govern
ment of Great Britain had armed all
merchant vessels OF BTittsh owner
ship and had given them seaFet orders
10 attack; any submarine of tho en-
envy they might encounter upon the
seas, and that the Imperial Govern
ulent felt justified In the ctsGumsta noes
in treating all armed merchantmen
Of ballig erents as auxiliary vessels OF
war which Il would have the right to
destroy without warning, The law of
nations has long recognized this right
OF ynerohR nsmsnt to carry arms for
protection, to use them to repei at
tack though to use them in suoh
circumstances, at their own risk hat
the Imperial German Government
claimed the right to set these under
standings aside in circumstances which
IL deemed extraordinary, '"'
Even the tsTms in which 1t an
nounned its purpose thus stilt further
10 relax ths restraints il han pre-
viously profsssed its willingness and
desire To put upon the operations Of
its submarines carried the plain i'm
plloation that al least vessels which
were not armed would still he exempt
from destruction without warning and
that personal safety would he accord
ed their passengers and crews; but
even that limitation, II it was ever
practical to observe II, has In fact
Constituted nc ehsek at all upoR the
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