Evening journal., 1916-04-19

be carried on without the most pdlp
able violation OF the dictates alike Of
. right and OF humanity. Whatever the
disposition and intension of the imper-
ial German government. IL has mani
testify proved impossible for il TO keep
such methods Of attack upon commerce
OF It's enemies within the bounds set
by either the reason or the heart OF
mankind
"In February OF the present year
the imperial German government in
: formed this government and the other
neutral governments of the world that
it had reason to believe that the gov
ernment OF Great Britain had armed
all merchant vessels of British owner
ship and had given them secret orders
TO attack any submarine of the enemy
, they might encounter upon the seas,
and that the imperial German gov
/ ernment felt justified in the circum
stances In treating all armed mer-
r chantmen OF belligerent ownership as
o. auxiliary vessels of war; which 10
q would have the right to destroy with
e out warning The law of nations has
long recognized the right OF merchant
b men to carry arms for protection to
- use them to repol attack, though to
b use in such circumstances. at their
10 own risk. but the imperial German
government claimed the right 10 set
these understandings aside In clrcum-
= stances which Il deemed eXtraordin-
h ary Even the terms on which 1t an
y nounced It's purpose thus stlll further
to relax the restraints Il had previous
'- ly professed it's willingness and de-
'- sire to put upon the operations OF It's
% submarines carried the plain implica-
u ton that at least vessels which we're
!, not armed would still be exempt from
IL destruction without warning and
= that personal safety woul0 be accorded
r, their passengers and crews; but even
~ that Limitation. II II was ever practic-
: able TO observe IT, has i'm fact consti-
" tuted no check at all upon the dostruc-
H. tion OF ships OF every sort
~ Again and again the imperial Ger
~ man government has given this govern.
~ mcnt its solemn assurances that at least
~ passenger ships would not be thus dealt
al with. and vet it has again and again
permitted its undersea commanders "a
disregard those assurances with entire
'o immunity. Great liners like the l4usi
y tania and the Arabic and mere ferry
~. boats like the Sussex have been at
va tackled without u moments warning
u some times before they had even bccom'
Us aware that they were IN the presencl
~ of an armed vessel of the enemy, an'
~ the lives of -combatants, passenger
az and crew. have been sacrificed whole
.u sale in a manner which the government
III of the United States cannot but REGAIN
ne "a wnuton and without the shghtes
ny color of justification No limit Of an
PIT kind has in fact been set TO the indi.
KS criminate pursuit and destruction q
ny merchantmen Of all kinds and national
OF tics within the waters, constantly e'
ch tending IN area. where these operation
les have heen carried on; and the roll
ri Americans who have lost their lives q
iry ships thus attacked and destroyed hi
IL crown month by month until the ON
nj nous toll has mounted into the hu
lu dreds
led zone OF the latest and most shocl
ass ing instances OF this method OF wal
fare was that OF the destruction q
az, the French cross-channel steame
"a Sussex. II must stand forth, as th
~ sinking of the steamer Lusitania die
,no as so singularly tragical and unjus
io tifable as to constitute a truly ter
IA rible example OF the inhumanity q
In. submarine warfare as the command
lie ers Of German vessels have for th
ed past twelve months been conducting
les Il. II this instance stood alone, som
re- explanation. some disavowal by III
of German Government. some evidonc
of of criminal mistake or wilful disobe
dience on the part OF the commando
in OF the vessel that fred the torped'
lPs might be sought or entertained; bu
st- unhappily IL does not stand alone
BILE Recent events make the conclusion
of inevitable that II Is only one instance
are even though Il be one OF the mos
er. extreme and distressing instances. o
ed the spirit and method Of wartar
rn- which the Imperial German Govern
ms ment has mistakenly adopted AM
er. which from the first exposed tina
'ea government TO the reproach q
..nu thrusting all neutral rights aside i
-ne pursuit of its immediate objects.
am "Thc government of the Unite
ulu States has been very patient. At ever
la9 stage of this distressing experience
oIe tragedy after tragedy in which its ON
lne citizens were involved, it has sought
ess be restrained from any extreme cour
lu' of action or of protest by n thought
- / consideration OF the tAiluolhihhl1 81
els cimstances of tnis unprecedented wa
'on and actuated in all that it said or d
by the sentiments of genuine friendsh
ven which the people of the United Stat
ina have always entertained and contin'
ave to entertain toward the German natio
OF u has of course accepted the successi
ltly explanations and assurances of the In
the perial German government as given
rn- entire sincerity and good faith, and ha
ore hoped even against hope that IT, won
ne prove to he possible for the Germs
cen government so to order and control Il
ing acts of its naval commanders a.
be square its policy with the principles
But humanity as embodied in the laws
cen nations II has been willing to wa
p's until the significance Of the facts b
hat came absolutely unmisakablc and su
pen ceptible of hut one Interpretation.
ag- THAT point has now unhappil
ith been reached The facts are suscepi
10 ible Of but one Interpretation. Th
are Imperial German government ma