The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-04-21

must happen has happened. Tragedy
has followed tragedy on the seas in
such fashion, with such attendant
circumstances, as to make 1t grossly
evident that warfare of such sort, If
warfare 1t be. cannot be carried on
without the most palpable violation
of the dictates alike of right and bu-
manity. Whatever the disposition and
intention of the imperial German gov
eminent, it has manifestly proved i'm
possible for 1t to keep such methods
of attack upon the commerce of its
enemies within the bounds set by
either the reason or the heart of man
kind.
Set Aside international Law.
In February OF the present year the
imperial German government inform
ed this government and the other neu-
trail governments of the world that 1t
had reason to believe that the govern.
ment of Great Britain had armed all
merchant vessels of British owner
ship and had given them secret or
ders to attack any submarine Of the
enemy they might encounter upon the
seas, and that the imperial German
government felt justified in the cir
cumstances in treating all merchant
men of belligerent ownership as aux
Hilary vessels of war, which 1t would
have the right to destroy without
warning.
The law of nations has long rec
ognized the right of merchantmen to
carry arms for protection and to use
them, in such circumstances, at their
own risks; but the imperial German
government claimed the right to set
these understandings aside under cir
cumstances which 1t deemed extraor-
binary. Even the terms In which It
announced its purpose thus still
further to relax the restraints 1t had
previously professed its willingness
and desire to put upon the operations
of its submarines carried the plain
implication that at least vessels
which were not armed would still be
exempt from destruction without
warning and that personal safety
would be accorded their passengers
and crews; but even that limitation,
IL it was ever practicable to observe
it,, has. In fact, constituted no check
at all upon the destruction of ships OF
every sort.
Destruction Of Life "Wanton."
Again and again the imperial Ger
man government has given this gov
eminent it's solemn assurance, that at
least passenger ships would not be
thus dealt with, and yet 1t has again
ard again permitted its undersea
commanders to disregard those assur-
ances with entire impunity. Great
liners like the Lusitania and the Ara
bic and mere ferryboats like the Sus-
sex have been attacked without mo-
ment's warning, sometimes before
they had even become aware that they
were in the presence Of an armed
vessel Of the enemy, and the lives OF
noncombatants, passengers and crew,
have been sacrificed wholesale, In
manner which the government OF the
United States cannot but regard as
wanton and without the slightest col.
or Of justification.
No limit of any kind has IN fact,
been set to the indiscriminate pursuit
and destruction Of merchantmen or
all kinds and nationalities within the
waters, constantly extending In area,
where these operations have been car
rid on. and the roll of Americans who
have lost their lives on ships thus at
tackled and destroyed has grown
month by month until the ominous
toll has mounted into the hundreds.
Sussex Case Is Shocking.
One of the latest and most shock
ing instances Of this method of war
fare was that Of the destruction Of
the French cross channel steamer
Sussex. 1t must stand forth, as the
sinking of the steamer Lusitania did,
as so singularly tragical and unjusti-
fable as to constitute truly terrible
example Of the inhumanity Of subma-
rine warfare as the commanders OF
German vessels have for the last
twelve months been conducting 1t.
II this instance stood alone, some
explanation, some disavowal by the
German government, some evidence
of criminal mistake or willful dis
obedience on the part Of the COM
mander Of the vessel that fired the
torpedo might be sought or entertain
ed; but, uphappily, 1t does not stand
alone. Recent events make the conclu'
sion inevitable that 1t is only one In
stance, 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 mistakenly adopted,
and which from the first exposed that
government to reproach Of thrusting
all neutral rights aside In pursuit OF
its immediate objects.
United States "Very Patient
The government of the United
States has been very patient. AT
every stage of this distressing expert
ence of tragedy after tragedy in which
its own citizens were involved It has
sought to be restrained from any ex
treme course of action or Of protest
nv a thoughtful confederation of the