Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-04-28

out moments warning, often before
they have even become aware that
they were in the presence Of an armed
ship of the enemy, and the lives OF
passengers and crew
have been destroyed wholesale, and in
a manner which the government OF
the United States cannot but regard
as wanton and without the slightest
color of justification.
mo limit of any kind has in fact
been set to their indiscriminate pur-
suit and destruction of merchantmen
of all kinds and nationalities within
the waters which the imperial govern
ment has chosen to designate as ly-
ing within the seat of war.
American Toll Grows.
THE roll of Americans who have
lost their lives upon ships thus at
tackled and destroyed has grown
month by mouth until the ominous toll
has mounted into the hundreds.
THE government of the United
States has been very patient. At
every stage of this distressing expert
ence of tragedy after tragedy it has
sought to be governed by the most
thoughtful consideration of the ex-
traordinary circumstances of an un-
precendented war and to be guided by
sentiments of very genuine friendship
for the people and government Of Ger
many.
'Tt has accepted the successive ex-
plantations and assurances of the i'm
perial government as of course given
in entire sincerity and good faith, and
mas hoped, even against hope, that it
would prove to be possible for the i'm
pe rial government so to order and con-
troll t5s acts of it's naval command
ers as to square it's policy with the
recognized principles of humanity as
embodied in the law of nations.
1T has made every allowance for
unprecedented conditions and has
been willing to wait until the facts
became unmistakable and were sus-
ceptible of only one Interpretation.
1T now owes it to 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 character of the
vessels employed and the very meth
DDS of attack which their employment
of course involves, utterly incompat
ible with the principles of humanity
the long-established ppd incontrovert
ible rights of neutrals and the sacred
immunities of noncombatants.
But One Course Open.
IF it is still the purpose Of the
imperial government to prosecute re
lentless and indiscriminate warfare
against vessels of commerce by tn,
use of submarines without regard t.
what the government of the United
States must consider the sacred ant
indisputable rules of international Law
and the universally recognized dictate
of humanity, the government of tn
United States is at last forced to tn
conclusion that there is but one cours
it can pursue.
UNLESS the imperial government
should now Immediately declare an
effect an abandonment of its presen
methods of submarine warfare agains
passenger and freight-carrying vessels
the government of the United State
can have no choice but to sever dil
; lomatic relations with the German en-
pire altogether. This action the go
r ernment of the United States COZ
, templates with the greatest reluctanc
, but feels constrained to take in beha
of humanity and the rights of neutr;
nations.
(Signed) LANSING.