The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-04-21

,hus dealt with, and yet it has again
and again permitted its underseas
commanders to disregard these assur-
ances with entire impunity.
Great liners like the Lusitania and
Arabic and mere ferry boats like the
Sussex have been attacked without &
moments warning, some times before
they had even become aware that they
were il the presence of an armed yes
all Of the enemy, and the lives of non
combatants. passengers and crew have
been sacrificed wholesale in a man
ner which the go,er ment of the
United States can not but regard as
wanton and without the slightest color
of Justification.
No limit of any kind has in fact
con set 10 the indiscriminate Of all
Ahd destruction of merchantmen of all
kinds and at;onalities within the Wa
tiers. constantly extending in area
where these operations have been car
rci on: and the roll OF Americans
who have lost their lives on ships thus
attacked and destroyed has grown
month by mo til until the ominous toll
has mounted INTO the hundreds.
"One of the latest and most shock
iHg Instances of this method of war
fare was that of the destruction of the
French cross chasnel steamer Sus-
sex. 1t must stand forth. as the sink
irg Of the I.usitania DID. as so singu-
l2rlv tragic ard unjustifiab!e as to
constitute a truly terrible example Of
the inhulnanity of submarine warfare
as the commanders of German vessels
have for the past y months been con-
ducting it II this instance stood aloe
some exclamation some diSavowal by
the German government, some evi-
dence of criminal mistake or WllfuI
disobedience on the part Of the com
mander of the vessel that fired
the torpedo. might be sought or en-
terta:ned; but unhappily it does not
stand alone. Recent events make the
conclusion inevitable that it IS only
o. e instance, even though it be one OF
the most extreme and distressing in
stances, of the spirit and method OF
warfare which the imperial German
government has mistakingly adopted,
and which from the first exposed that
government to the reproach Of thrust
j all neutral rights aside in pursuit
! of its immediate objects.
The government Of the United
States has been very patient. AT
every stage of this distressing expert
ence of tragedy after tragedy, III
which it's own citizens we're involved
it has sought to be restrained from
2, = extreme course of action or OF
protest by a thoughtful consideration
OF the extraordinary circumstances OF
, this unprecedented war and actuated
in all that it said or did by the sentl-
ment of genuine frie2dsllip which the
people of the United States have al
ways entertained and continue to en-
tertain towards the German nation. It
has. of course, accepted the success
sive explanations and assurances OF
the imperial German government as
given in tire sincerity and good
faith and has hoped, even against
hope. that it would prove to be pos
sible for the German government so
to order and control the acts OF It's
naval commanders as to square It's
policy with the principles of humanity
as embodied in the law of nations. II
mas been willing to wait until the sig
nificance of the facts become aoso-
lutely unmistakable and susceptible OF
cut one Interpretation.
Can Not Be Legalized.
That point has now ulhappily been
reached. The facts are susceptible or
but one Interpretation. THE imperial
German government has been unable
to put asy limits or restrictions upon
its warfare against either freight or
passenger ships. 1t has therefore be-
come painfully evident that the posi-
tion which this government took at
the very outset is inevitable namely,
that the use OF submarines for the
destructica of an enemy;s commerce is