The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-05
President Wilson Maintained a Policy Of Dbintcrested
Neutrality Toward All the Beihgerents in This War
Until February. 1915, VIXEN The Don Tbpaz Sub
marine Blockade of England Was Proclaim d
When Cor,W .Ackcrnan Reached The Lille Border 7own
of Be1tI,eim, He Found That N.Aher the Offers
Nor The People We're The "Huns and Barburid7s'
Thai They Had Beer Pictured -Bui That Was in
1915

involved In the war itself in impulse
and opinion. II not in action.
My though; is of America. am
speaking, feel cure. the earnest wish
and purpose Of every thoughtful
American that this great country OF
ours. which Is, OF course, the first in
our thoughts and In our hearts, should
show herself in this time OF peculiar
tr al nation fit beyond others to ex-
hih t. The fine poise of undisturbed
Judgment, the q .gnity OF salf-control.
the efficiency of dispassioaats act on /;
a nation that neither s Is IN judgm ut
Lpon others nor is disturbed In her
own couneAls a-' which keeps herself
ht and free TO 10 what Is honest and
DISTINGUISHED and truly serv.cea BILE
for the peace Of the world"
Many Americans believed even early
In the war that the United States
should have protested against the inva-
sion OF Belgium. Others thought the
government should prohibit the ship
ment Of war supplies to the beiliger-
ents. America vas divided by the great
issues In Europe. but the great ma
jorfty OF Americans believed with the
president that the best service Uncle
Sam could render would be to help
bring about peace.
Until February. 1915, when the Won
Tirptz submarine blockade of Eng
land was proclaimed, only American
interests. not American yes. had been
drawn into the war. But when the
German admiralty announced tina;
neutral as well as helligerent ships in
British waters would be sunk without
warning there was new and unex.
pected obstacle to neutrality. The
high seas were as much American as
British. The oceans were no nations
| property and three could not iustl,
, be used as battle grounds for ruthless
warfare by either haliigerent
! Germany. therefore. was the FRS
TO challenge Am erican~ neutrality
Germany was the first to threa: or
American lives, Germany. which wa.
the first TO show contempt FOR Wilson
forced the presideny, rs well as The
people. to alter policies and adap
American neutrality to new ant
grave 6aasess-
, On February 4. 1915, the Reie hsan
zefger. the official ne wspaper of Ger
many, published an announcement de
claring that from the 18th. Of Fehru
AIRY ''all the waters surround nS Grca
! Britain ard Ireland. az well as the en-
I tire English channel. are hereby de
ciared to be war srea All ship
Of the enemy mercantile marine founs
in these waters will be destroyed. ans
! IL will not always be possible to avoi,
danger to the crews ana passenger
thereon.
| Neutral slipping Is also In DANCE
: in the war aree. as owing to the secre
order issued by the British adm!ralt,
Janna~tr Al JQfE H1 DO
use of neutral flags. and the chances
OF naval warfare. IL cat happen tina
attacks directed against eneray ship
! may "a ma Sc neutral vessels ~
! The shipping route rostni thu norti
OF tho Shetlands In the east Of tn,
! North sea and over distance OF thirt,
miles along the coast OF tbs Nethar
lands will not be dangero
| Although the announcement wa
signed by Admiral Won Pohl. chic
of the admiralty stan. the real au:ho
of the blockade was Gran Adm ra
Won TfrpItz. In exclamation OF the an
neutral and hostile powers were sent
/ memorandum. which contained tn
following paragraph:
/ The German government an
nouncea its intention In gaod time
SO that hostile as well as neutral
ships can take necessary precau-
lions accord ngiy. Germany ex-
| poets that the neutral pov ers W II
/ show the came consideration for
Germany's vital interests as for
those OF England and viii aid In
-k1aping- THAR citizens and PROP
erty from this area. This lis the
more to be expected, as /. must
be to the interests OF the neu-
trail powers to see this destructive
war end as soon as possible
On February IL the American On
.bassador, James W, Gerard. hande,
Secretary OF State vo, Jagow a note
in which the United States said
This government views these
possibilities with such grave con-
Germ that II feels II to be its privi-
lege. and indeed its duty II the
circumstances. go request the I'M \
perial German government to
! consider before action Ia taken
/ the critical situation In respect OF
the relations between this conn
! try and Germany which m ght
arise were the German naval off,
! GERS, in carrying out the policy
foreshadowed In the admiralty's
! proclamation. to destro~ a-y T-r-
chant vessel OF the United States
;, or cause tho death Of American
/ citizens"
TT Is. of course, unn necessary 20
remind the German government
/ that the sole right OF belliycr-
:, ent in dealing with neutral ves-
! sells on the high seas is limited to
i visit and search unless biloxi
1 ade lis proclaim ed and effectively
maintained. which the govern
4 ment Of the United States does
not understand to be proposed in
this cage. To declare and exeI-
else the right to attack and de-
\ strcy any vessel entering, a pre-
scrfbed area OF the high seas
without first accurately determtn-
i Ing it's bsilgerent nationality and
the contrahand character OF Its
cargo would he an act SO urprece-
dentsd in naval warfare that this
: government Is reluctant to believe
that the imr crial German govern
4 rnent in tn case eontemplatcs 1t
: as pnsli1 e.
sailed from N~v York Februar
Is, 1915, on the first American pas
. senger liner tn run the Won Tirpit
blockade. On February 20 we paese
} Queenstown ard entered the IRISH 90
10 IL - NF-A