The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-20


which II had issued TO the command
ers of its submarines and assuring
the government Uf the United states
that It would take every possible pre-
caution both to respect the rights OF
neutrals and to safeguard the lives
Of on-cambatants.
In pursuance of this policy OF sub
marine warfare against the commerce
Of its adversaries, thus announced and
thus entered upon in despite of tho
solemn protest Of the government of
the United States the commanders of
the Imperial governments undersea
vessels have carried on practices of
such ruthless destruction which have
made IL more and more evident as the
months have gone by that the Inn
perial government has found Ii inn
! practicable to put any such restraints
upon them g 1t had hoped and prom
{ ised to put. Again and again the I'M
ipertal government has given its solemn
assurances to the government of the
United states that at least passenger
ships would not be thus dealt with.
and yet ii has repeatedly permitted It's
/ undersea commanders to disregard
Those assurances with entire impunitN.
AS recently as February last 1t gave
notice that IL would regard all armed
merCha ntmcn owned by it's enemies as
lpart Of the armed naval forces of its
Iadyorsa ries and deal with them as
! with men-of-war, thus at least by
implication, pledeing itself to give
warning to vessels which were not
armed and TO accord security of life
Ito their passengers and crews, but
IeNeB this limitation their submarine
com anders have recklessly ignored
/ Neutral Ships DESTROYED.
/ Vessels of neutral ownership, even
vessels of neutral ownership bound
| from neutral port to neutral port
have been destroyed along with YES
sels Of belliga.ent ownership il con-
| stantly inCrea'tng numbers, Some
times the merchantmen attacked have
been warned ard summoned to sur
render before being fired on or tor
lpedoed. some times their passengers
and crews have bean vouchsafed the
poor security of being allowed to take
to the ships boats before the ship was
sent 10 the bottom. BUT again ana
again no warning has been. given, no
escape even to the ships boats allow
ed to those on board. Great liners IKE
1.-The Lusitania and Arabic and mere
passenger boats like the Sussex have
| been attacked without moments
warning, often before they have eTen
become aware that they were in the
presence of an armed snip OF TIRE
IenemY and the lives Of non~coln-
batants. passengers and crew nave
been destroyed wholesale aud IN
manner which the government Ht the
United states cannot but regard az
wanton and without the slI2htes' color
Of justification.
No limit OF an, kind has in fact.
hecn SET 10 their indsCrminate pur-
suit and destruction of merchantmen
OF all kinds and nationalitics WITHIN
the waters which the impe1ai gov
eminent has chosen 10 designate as
living within the scat OF war. ne
roll of Americans who have lost thcr
lives upon ships thus attacked ana
destroyed has grown month Ivy Honth,
until the omiT Faf~ ton mas HioH"''d
Into the hundreds.
America Has Been Patient.
The government OF the United
States has been very patient Al
every stage Of this distressing expe-
riencc Of tragedy after tragedy L has
sought TO he governed by the moSL
thoughtful consideration of the extra
ordinary circumstances OF Il" dhpie-
cedcnted war and to be guided 10y sen
timents of very genuine friendship Tor
the people and government of Ger
many. II has accepted the successive
explanations and assurances Of the
tilnpcrial government as Of course
given in entire sincerity and good
faith, and has hoped, even against
hone that il would prove 10 he posi-
hle for the imperial government so TO
order and control tho acts OF It's haFat
commanders as to square It's poI'E
with the recognized principles OF hH~
mnnity rs embodied in the law Of ma
lions # has made every allowance
for unprecedented conditions and has
been willing TO ait until the facts be-
came unn1tstak fole and were suscepN-
BILE Of only one Interpretation,
Time for Reckoning Comes,
1t uOu owes il 10 a just regard
/ for its own rights to say to the s.
Imperial Government that that
/ time has come. II has become
painfully evident 10 II that the
position which il took AT the very
outset Is inevitable; namely, the
use of submarines for the dcStruc-
ton OF an encmy's commerce Is,
of necessity, because of tho very
character of the vessels employed
and the very methods OF attack
which their employment of course
| involves, utterly Incompatible with
the principles OF humanity, the
| long established and incontro-
vertibic rights OF ncutrais, and
| the sacred mmunitics of non
COMPLIANT
If II is still the purpose OF the
IMPERIAL Gotcrnment to prose
! cute relentless and indisCriminatc
warfare against vessels of COM
mcrcc by tho use of submarines
without regard 10 what the gov
eminent OF the United States
must consider the sacred and In
disputnblc rnles of international
law. and The universally recog
/ nizcd dictates Of humanity, the
government of the United States
/ Is at last forced TO the conclusion
( that there is but ono course ii
can pursue.
Unless tho Imperial Govern
ment should now Immediately de-
clare and effect an abandonment
of fts present methods of subma-
rjne warfare against passenger
and freight carrying vessels. the
government OF the United States
! can have no choice but 10 sever
diplomatic relations with the
German Empire altogether This
action tho government of tho
United States contemplatcs with
the greatest reluctonce, jiIIt feels
constrained 10 take I'm behalf of
humanity and tho rights of ncu-
trial nations
(signcd) LANSING.