The Ely miner., 1916-04-28

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, no
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 a
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 hoee
manner which the government Of tie
United States can not but regard As
wanton and without the slightest c>l.
or of justification. No limit of any
kind has in fact been set to the indis-
criminate pursuit and destruction 6a
merchantmen of all kinds and nation
alities within the waters which the
Imperial Government has chosen I'd
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 expert
ence of tragedy after tragedy, it hat
sought to be governed by the mos,
thoughtful consideration of the extra
ordinary circumstances of an unprec
edented war and to be guided by sen
timents of very genuine friendship foa
the people and government of Ger
many.
Time for Action Now.
1t now owes it ta a Just regard fos
it's own rights to say to the Imperia
Government that that time has come
1t has become painfully evident to II
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
manity, 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 tc
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 its 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 contemplates
with the greatest reluctance, but feels
constrained to take in behalf of hu
manity ind the rights of neutral ma
tions.