The Washington herald., 1916-03-19
WILSON IGNORES
SE6hEI ORDERS
ss~at vll Not Change
/ Stand 3 ause Of Ger
naaa Expose.
= CTS ALREADY KNOWN
Vs. q Admiralty Instructions
S Ss as,ers Is Given The
ington Herald.
1 CTS ALREADY KNOWN

Il 9.s L yestsrdsy ON excellent
: q go the sOcaIled secret
british admiralty direct
: SIP e.llsnx-uastsrs to fire at ap-
ii - .ellEnz "a snartses and communicated
I, -. pt4fz Deoartrnent by the German
cas. viii not AFFECT President
I'd on the srmed-ship issue.
- -ss OF the German communica-
50 fy-r- ~. light nothing new or per
- = irst issae, Il Is explained
80 Frs / viewpoint as given to The
asrzl Herald Is as follows:
G An documents prove only one
49, - 4. that British merchantmen,
- - serense. should not wait until
40 rpedoed before feeling justified
Z, ssfsrs Ilg themselves Analysis of the
ltton shows no other disclosure.
ording od the memorandum and
u which Berlin entertsins con-
.-s7 he respective rights OF German
es and British passenger ships
49, tantu,er AFFORD singular proof Of
srf-sars's perverted ideas Of tnterna-
r Nv and the recognized laws Of
sao,rsd Braish passenger ship or
merchant ship have the right 10 defend
tseff before the torpedo actually sinks
herr This IL the question raised II Is
Analogous to the comnon-law case
uhsthsr a man has 4 right TO use his
pistol against an enemy who Is approach
Ing him with an axe without first wait
ing fer The axe 10 strike him
oaesfion OF self Defense.
rna hostile intent OF an enemy sub
marina Is susneisntty demonstrated when
shs approaches and continues to approach
to a position Of vantage for the fir
Ing Of her torpedo. There Is little TO
show that German submarines approach
Brs,asa merchantmen fer any other
reason than TO try to sink them.
According to the German memorandum
their submarines have the divine right
20 prey upon or sink ensmy passenger
vess.Is OF merchant ships without being
disturbed IN the process For example
the memorandum states:
TT Il made plain that the armed Eng
Hsa merchantmen have official instruc-
tons to attack the German submarines
treacherously whenever they come near
them. that Is. orders to conduct relent-
tess warfare against them"
Ths German document lays stress on
REPORTS from their submarines that Brit
fish merchant ships when subjected to
artillery ere from the submarines ran
away and fred back. One report states
~ after warning, tried TO stoI
larx. Freight steamer by artillery fire
Steamer turned away and returned thc
ire"
The particular oIense Of the British
ship in this case appears TO be that sh,
did not remain stationary until the sub
marines artillery IRE took its effect. An
other report says:
~ fired at steamer. Steamer RAJ
away and returned FIRE"
In each case the British steamers II
fleeing. acted on the offensive, ACCORDING
to the German view. The fact that the,
returned the FIRE made il more Difficult
for the submarine to sink them Indeed
the German document quotes sO-caIlet
British orders showing how gun fire a
an attacking submarine makes splashe
In the water and disturbs the aim Of tn
man operating the torpedoeA Therefor
the sailing master in using his guns L
prevent his ship from being sunk i
using them for offense and not for dc
Tense" even though his ship is doing il
best to escape destruction.
Called Offensive step.
But the German Characterization o
passenger ships and merchant ships a
being armed for Offensive warfare" i
claimed by the statements in the German
memorandum that British merchantmen
seek out German Varships as their prey
Just as the lamb seeks out the wolf o.
the canary seeks out the hungry cat, s.
do British merchantmen seek out tn
enemy varrraft. The German memoran
dun refers 10 numerous cases where thi
is said to have occurred.
The publication Of the secret orders
f. nothing new. Germany did not hav
20 capture the woodheld to prove tina
the British admiralty had directed sailing
steamers to sndeavor to save their ship
from approaching submarines. State
merits In Parliament and notices in tn
British press have made this known 70
more than q year.