New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-27
German Philosopher Says
Teutons Consider Amer
lea in Enemy Class
BLAMES THIS NATION
FOR ALLIED BLOCKADE
Writer Says Citizens and
Ships Here Forfeit Rights
as NOn-COmbatantS

Berlin, Feb. 25 by wireless 20 Tuck
erton). - Professor Hans DeibrJck.
head of the department of history n
Berlin University and also an iufuen-
tial pubicist with a large following IN
his capacity as editor of "Preusslsche
Jahrbucher," discussed the submarine
situation to-day in answer TO the re-
quest of The Associated Press for his
views regarding the present campaign.
81 feel that | ought to state very
frankly how the German people Zee!
toward America at this moment" ne
said. "They feel bitterness and be-
lieve that they have been wronged.
Hundreds of thousands have lost
fathers, husbands and sons through
American ammunition. Hundreds oil
thousands of young men of Germany
have been manned for life with
American ammunition.
an all wars the manufacturers oil
arms and munitions have supplied the
belligerent nations, but the manufact-
urers of arms are not opponents oil
humanity. Never before were the IN
dustries of peace of a country not
belligerent in the war reorganzed to
kill. Your people forged for our enc
mics these tremendously effective
weapons Of death and we protested IN
vain.
Did Not Back Up Protests
"Then we we're to receive from you
bread for our non-combatants. OuE
enemies nterfered. You said their IN
reference was illegal, but you did not
make your protest effective.
"Our people are asking with growing
bitterness the reason for this dlscrlml,
nation. There may be many legal ana
technical answers to this question. but
our people feel that, had there been
will. there would have been way
We have been told time and again that
tho principle of the freedom OF the
seas is deeply rooted in your race
Again and again, we have heard re,
heated YOUR Presidents words: J VIII
contend for the freedom of the seas
from whatever quarter it is violated,
and without compromise
"Our neople were told that the prin-
cinlo of the freedom of the seas de-
manded that the war on the seas shouid
no so conducted that -combatants
on sea or land would be spared the
suHerings of war. Thus, our people
patiently looked on, month after month,
while continuous stream OF American
ammunition poured into England and
Russia unchecked by our submarines
Now we are going to fight this pat,
tie out. The German peoples had
wished that it might be fought out
as other wars had been-between enc
my and enemy
Nom Combatan.- Must Suffer
"The rights of non-combatants at sea
can only be respected If they them
selves respect their duties as non-com-
batants. British merchantmen have
sunk U-boats by putting up sham de-
fences and by misuse of neutral hags.
These have not been isolated acts, but
are the results of a policy announced
bv the British Admiralty. In this man
nor some. of our submarine captains
have maid with the loss of their yes
sci and crew for their efforts TO safe
guard the lives of -combatants'
1.-THE blockade seems less trighttul 10
rou than the submarine warfare; II IS
farther away and less dramatic. But
| would ask the American people 10
read the British boasts. They are, I'M
true in so far as they claim to have
impaired our fighting strength through
the blockade and to have lowered the
morale and spirit of our fighting men
by suferings inflicted upon their fam
lies. They boast that they are sappIng
AT the future of the German race. We
must stop them.
"If there had been any outlook for
peace on the lines suggested IN Presl-
dent wilson's address, our decision
would have been different" continued
Professor Delbrueck, "but we were con-
fronted, under the Entente's terms
with dishonor and dismemberment.