The Dickinson press., 1917-04-07
Swept Away Restriction

"The new policy has swept every
restriction aside. Vessels of every
kind, whatever their flag, their char
acter, their cargo, their destination,
their errand, have been ruthlessly
sent to the bottom without warning
and without thought of help or mercy
for those on board, the vessels of
friendly neutrals along with those Of
belligerents. Even hospital ships and
ships carrying relief to the sorely be-
gium, though the latter were provided
with safe conduct through the pre-
scribed areas by the German Govern;
ment itself, and were distinguished by
unmistakable marks of identity, have
been sunk with the same reckless
lack of compassion or principle. -,
~ was for little while unable to
believe that such things would in fact
be done by any government that had
hitherto subscribed to the humane
practices of civilized nations. Inter-
national law had it's origin in the at
tempt to set up some law, which
would be respected and observed upon
the seas where no nation has right
of dominion and where lay the free
highways of the world. By painful
stage after stage has that law been
built up with meagre enough results,
indeed, after all was accomplished
that could be accomplished, but al
ways with clear view, at least, of
what the heart and conscience of
mankind demanded.
Minimum Of Right.
"This minimum of right, the Ger
man government has swept aside, un-
der the plea of retaliation and neces-
sity and because it had no weapons
which it could use at sea except these,
which it is impossible to employ as it
is employing them without throwing
to the winds all scruples of humanity
or Of respect for the understandings
that were supposed to underlie the in
tercourse of the world.
II am not now thinking of the loss
of property involved, immense and
serious as that is, but only of the
the lives of non-combatants, men,
women and children, engaged in pur-
suits which have always, even in the
darkest period of modern history,
been deemed innocent and legitimate.
Properties can be paid for; the lives
Of peaceful and innocent people can
not be.
Warfare Against Mankind.
"The present German submarine
warfare against commerce is a war
fare against mankind. It is war
against all nations. American ships
have been sunk, American lives taken,
in ways which have stirred us very
deeply to learn Of, but the ships and
people of other neutral and friendly
nations have been sunk and over
whelmed in the waters in the same
way. There has been no discrimina-
tion. The challenge is to all mankind.
Each nation must decide for itself how
it will meet it. The choice we make
for ourselves must be made with, a
moderation Of counsel and a temper
ateness of judgment beftting our
character and our motives as nation.
We must put excited feeling away.
Our motive will not be revenge or
the victorious assertion Of the physi-
cal might of the nation, but only the
vindication of right, of human right,
Of which we are only single cham
pion.
- Armed Neutrality.
"When I addressed the Congress on
the 26th of February last, thought
that it would suffice to assert our
neutral rights with arms, our rights
to use the, seas against unlawful inter
ference, our. right to keep our people
safe against unlawful violence. But
armed neutrality, it now appears, is
impracticable. Because submarines
are in effect outlaws when used as