The daily progressive-miner., 1916-05-24
GERMAN VIEWPOINT
(By L. Seybold in Leslie's.)

4~~&fAe>sNt v EA~~> HI ---~---~~~~~% "
 her submarine campaign against
 merchant ships has been, from the
 beginning, that of necessity. Alleg-
 ing that the British blockade of
 German ports was not legal be-
 cause not complete and not enforc-
 ed by naval strength in immediate
 proximity to the ports blockaded. the submarine warfare has been
 held to be retaliatory.s Germany al
 so pleads that the introduction of
 the submarine into warfare has so
 changed conditions that the old
 rules, calling for visit and search
 before the capture or destruction of
 an enemy merchant vessel or a
 blockade runner, can no longer be
 observed. The submarine is ob-
 viously incapable of capturing ves-
 sells and sending them into port in
 charge of prize crews; but it is an
 effective weapon and cannot be dis
 carded because it conflicts with
 rules made before it was dreamed
 of.
 From the beginning of the long drawn dispute with the United
 States about submarine warfare,
 Germany has protested that II Great Britain could be compelled to drop her alleged illegal blockade of German ports and abandon her campaign of Starvation" Germany would cease to use submarines in ways to which the United States objects. Germany is strong on land but weak On the sea. The sup eriority of the British navy has made it impossible for the German navy, so far, to enter into a general engagement with any prospect of success. German supremacy in the Baltic, however, has prevented any enforcement of a blockade On be- half of the Allies in those waters This ] has left. the Scandinavian countries free to traffic with Ger many and has led Britain to make an application of the theory of continuous voyage" which many neutral authorities believe to be too far-reaching to be legal Under it shipments of contraband to neutral countries that have uninterrupted trade facilities with Germany are held up and confiscated. Germany beng powerless to stop this-which she very naturally considers an outrage = retaliates by destroying British ships wherever found and neutral ships carrying food and supplies to England.
 It has been repeatedly pointed out that Germany can scarcely be expected to relinquish her only ef- fective weapon at sea If she is to stop her submarine against the Allies. or if she does it as concession to the United States, she will be in the position of seeing the seas of the 1 world, with the exception of the Baltic, swept by the navies of her enemies and bearing their commerce unhindered. This would be most humilating to proud nation that mastery of the sea with the British. 1
 Undoubtedly illegal things have been done by both sides in this war, particularly with reference to the rights of neutrals. It is Ger many's misfortune that circum- stances have compelled her to those illegalities that have excited the 1 most resentment in the minds of 1 neutrals. Great Britain and France with the upper hand on the sea and with plenty of ports into which l prizes can be taken and refuge found for warships confronted with super l for force, can carry on war more nearly in accordance with interna- tional usage, by capturing shipping and protecting the lives of seamen | and passengers Germany, with her ports sealed, must shoot her bolts in the dark, so to speak, and with disregard of consequences, so long | as the great objective of war is at tained-the infiiction of damage up- on the adversarv