Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-04-28

ernment its solemn assurances that at
least passenger ships would not be thus
dealt with; and yet 1t has again and
again permitted its undersea command
ers to disregard those assurances with
entire impunity.
Refers to the Lusitania Outrage.
Great liners like the Lusitania and
the Arabic, and mere ferry boats like
the Sussex, have been attacked with
out moments warning, sometimes
that they were in the presence Of an
armed vessel of the enemy. and the
lives of non-combatants, passengers
and crew have been sacrificed whole.
sale In a manner which the govern
ment of the United States cannot but
regard as ,wanton and without the
No limit of any kind has in fact
been set to the indiscriminate pursuit
and destruction of merchantmen of all
kinds and nationalities within the wa
ters. constantly extending in area.
where these operations have been car
sS sS have na as their ns rH s, Of nes Sus
month by month, until the ominous
toll has mounted into the hundreds.
Sussex Case Rivals Lu.itnnia.
One of the latest and most shocking
was that of the destruction of the
French cross-channel steamer Sussex.
1t must stand forth as the sinking of
ularly tragical and unjustifiable as to
constitute a truly terrible example OF
the inhumanvy of submarine warfare
az the commanders of German vessels
have for the last twelve months been
conducting 1t.
If this Incident stood alone some ex-
planation. some disavowal by the Ger
man government, some evidence of
criminal mistake or wilful disobedlence
on the part of the commander of the
vessel that fired the torpedo might be
sought or entertained: but. unhappily.
1t does not stand alone.
Recent events make the conclusion
inevitable that It is only one instance.
even though 1t be one of the most ex-
treme and distressing instances, of the
spirit and method of warfare which
the imperial German government has
mistakenly adopted. and which from
the first exposed that government to
the reproach of thrusting all neutral
ate object.
United States Has Hoped In Vain.
The government of the United States
has been very patient. At every stage
of this distressing experience of trag-
citizens were Involved. it has sought
tc be restrained from any extreme
course of action or of protest by
ordinary circumstances of this unpre-
cedented war. and actuated in all that
/. said or did by the sentiments of
,ainsa ,ss and continue to entertain
cessive explanations and assurances of
given In entire sincerity and good
hope. that it would prove to be pos
sibie for the German government so
to order and control the acts OF It's
naval commanders as to square Its
policy with the principles of humanity
as embodied in the law of nations. 80,
1t has been willing to walt until
absolutely unmistakable and suscept-
ible of but one Interpretation. That
sss been
Interpretation.
The Imperial German government
has no. been a6n able =, to put, any Limit, limits
either freight or passenger ships.
Demands U-Boat Raids End.
It has, therefore, become painfully
evident that the position which this
inevitabie: namely. that the use OF
submarines for the destruction of any
ehemy's commerce is of necessity.
vessels employed. and the very meth
DDS of attack which their employment.
of course. involves, incompatible with
established and incontrovertible rights
of neutrals. and the sacred immunities
OF non n-combatants.
fore, to say to the imperial Ger
man government that II it is still
Its pTrposs to Drossept,s reientles,
vessels of commerce by the use
of submarines. Notwithstanding the
in.possibility of conducting that war
fare in accordance with what the gov.
ernment of the United States must
consider the sacred and indisputable
rules of international law and the uni
ity, the government of the United
States is at last forced to the conclu
sion that there is but one course that
perial German government should now
Immediately declare and effect an
abandonment Of Its present methods OF
carrying vessels, this government can
have no choice but to sever diplomat
German e rens empire Ma aitosesRer s nen' '' the
This decision I have arrived at with
the keenest regret: the possibility of
ali thoughtfuI Americans will look
forward to with unaffected reluctance:
but we cannot forget that we are in
stances the responsible spokesman of
the rights of humanity, and that we
cannot remain silent while those
utterly away in the mnistrom of this
terrible war.
we owe it to a due regard for our
own rights as nation, to our sense
of duty as representative of the
rights of neutrals the world over. and
to just conception of the rights of
mankind, to take this stand now, with
the utmost solemnity and firmness.
1 have taken 1t, and taken II In the
confidence that 1t will meet with your
men must unite in hoping that the i'm
perial German government, which has
in their eircpmstances stood as the
tending for in the interest of human
ity, may recognize the Justice of our
demands and meet them in the spirit
in which they are made.