River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-04-27

times the merchantmen attacked have
been warned and summoned to sur.
render before being fired upon or tor.
pedoed; sometimes their passengers
and crews have been vouchsafed the
poor security of being allowed to take
to the ships boats before the ship was
sent to the bottom. But again and
again no warning has been given, nc
escape even to the ships boats al.
lowed to those on board.
American Death Roll Grows.
Great liners like the Lusitania and
Arabic and passenger boats like the
Sussex have been attacked without
moments warning, even before they
have even become aware that they
were in the presence of an armed ship
of the enemy and the lives of noncom-
batants, passengers and crew have
been destroyed wholesale, and In a
manner which the government Of the
United States can not but regard as
wanton and without the slightest col
or of justification. No limit of any
kind has in fact been set to kheaindis-
eliminate pursuit and destruction of
merchantmen of all kinds and nation
alities within the waters which the
Imperial Government has chosen to
designate as lying within the seat of
war. The roll of Americans, VINO have
lost their lives on ships thus attacked
and destroyed, has grown month by
month until the ominous toll has
mounted into the hundreds.
America Has Been Very Patient.
The Government of the United
States has been very patient. At ev-
cry stage of this distressing expe.i-
ence of tragedy after tragedy, it has
sought to be governed by the most
thoughtful consideration of the extra
ordinary circumstances of an unprec-
edented war and to be guided by SEN
timents of very genuine friendship for
the people and government of Ger
many.
Time for Action Now.
1t now owes it to a Just regard for
it's own rights to say to the Imperial
Government that that time has come.
1t has become painfully evident to it
that the position which it took at the
very outset is inevitable; namely, the
use Of submarines for the destruction
of an enemy's commerce, is, of neces-
sity, 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 principle of hui
mainly, the long established and in
controvertible rights of neutrals and
the sacred immunities of noncomba-
tants.
Only One Course Is Left.
If it is still the purpose of the Impe-
rial Government to prosecute relent-
less and indiscriminate warfare
against vessels of commerce by the
use of submarines without regard to
what the government of the United
States must consider the sacred and
indisputable rules of international law,
and the universally recognized die
tates of humanity, the government OF
the United States is at last forced to
the conclusion that there is but one
course it can pursue. Unless the I'm
perial Government should now imme-
diately declare and effect an abandon
ment of it's present methods of sub
marine warfare against passenger and
freight-carrying vessels, the govern
ment of the United States can have
no choice but to sever diplomatic re-
lations with the German Empire al
together. This action the government
of the United States contenplates
with the greatest reluctance, but feels
constrained to take in behalf of hu-
mainly end the rights of neutral ma
tions.