The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-19
AUSTRIA'S APOLOGY FOR RUTH.
LESSNESS. /.
New York Tribune,)


The voluminous memorandum prepared as an an
swer to the American request for a definition of the
Austro- Hungarian governments policy in the mat
ter of submarine warfare is in fact elaborate at
tempt to expohnd and justify the German declara-
ton of January 81. 1t is true that by the way of
summary, the assurance already given in relation
to the Ancona case is formally reiterated; but the
sense of the whole argument is plainly opposed to
that assurance, which at least promised security to
those board vessels which offered no resistance
to capture
1t is manifest that the Austrian government holds
loyalty to the German conception of neutral rights
in every particular and is concerned only to explain
the justice and humanity of German purpose An
attempt is actually made to justify sinking at sight
on the ground that it is really kinder and more hui
name than forcing crews and passengers to take
refuge in boats. This is the argument gem of it's
kind: .r
In the first place, it must not be overlooked
that the rescue of persons is almost always
left to mere chance the only choice re-
naming is to take them aboard vessels
which exposed to any enemy influence or
to expose them in small boats to the dangers
of the elements, that it therefore CORE
spends much better to the principles Of hui
manity to prevent persons by timely warming
from using endangered vessels.
The same grotesque reasoning pervaies the whole
note Thus the grief of the central powers at be-
ing forced after two years of silent suffering
strike back at their awless enemies is poignantly
enlarged upon without the least regard to the Sc
quencc of events:
For more than two years the central powers
hcstated. Only then and after long and care
full consideration of pros and cons, did they
begin to return like for like and attacked the
enemy on the sea. AS the only ones of the
belligerents who had done everything to
cure the existing treaties which were to guar
antec to neutrals the freedom Of the seas
they felt with panied hearts the law of the
hour which commanded them to. violate this
freedom
l. AS to the proclamations "apparently' opposed to
our rights and the rights of all ncutrals,
gravey asked to believe that the central powers are
cruel only to be kind, for that the said procama-
tons really serve toward the restoration of these
rights which their enemies have incessan1y violated
and which, if they were victors they would destroy
| forever On the other hand, if we will only be
patient and suffer murder and lawless outrage lit
tie while the day will when the flags of all
freely fly the seas" @'"
For the rest the declaration of ruthless warfare
does not aim at destruction of human life" which
can be avoided if will only keep out of the wa
of the submarines and that ought to be easy enough
for. inasmuch as Austro-Hungaran submarines ply
only in the Adriatic and Mediterranean, IAN en-
croachment of American interests is hardly to be
feared -"-.
In word, the memorandum is nothing but a fam
tastic attempt to establish the righteousness of ruth
less submarine warfare and only be taken as
implying unqualified approval of Cerrnany's