New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-02-28

importance. We, who were ready for
peace, now by mutual understanding
fight for life against an enemy who
from the beginning put his heel upon
the recognized laws of nations. The
English starvation blockade, our
peace offer, its rebuke by the entente
the war aims of our enemies purport-
ing our destruction and the speeches
of Lloyd George are known also In
America.
II would fully understand it II the
United States as a protector of inter
national law should have bartered
for it's reestablishment on equal lines
with all the belligerents and II de-
string to restore peace to the world
had taken measures to enforcea the
end of the bloodshed. But I cannot
possibly consider it vital question
for the American nation to protect
international law in a one-sided FASH
ion only against US.
"Our enemies and American circles
which are unfriendly toward US
thought that they could point out an
important difference between our
course of action and that of the Brit
ish. England, they have satisfied
themselves, destroys only material
values which can be replaced, while
Germany destroys human lives, which
are impossible to replace.
We'll, gentlemen, why did the
British not endanger American lives:
only because neutral countries. and
especially America, voluntarily sub
mitted to the British orders. and be-
cause the British therefore could At
tain their object without employing
force. What would have happened
if Americans had valued unhampered
passengers and commodities traffic
with Bremen and Hamburg as much
as that with Liverpool and London
If they had done SO, then we should
have been freed from the painful i'm
preston that. according to America.
a submission to British power and
control is compatible with the essen
tial character of neutrality, but that
1t Is incompatible with this neutral
policy to recognize German measures
of defence.
Will Encourage Further Warfare.
Gentlemen, let us consider the
whole question. The breaking off Of
relations with us and the ATTEMPTED
mobilization Of all neutrals against
us do not serve for the protection of
the freedom of the seas proclaimed
by the United States. These actions
will not promote the peace desired by
President Wilson. They must con-
secuently have encouraged the at
tempt to starve Germany and to null
tiply the bloodshed.
I'VE regret the rupture with ma.
ton which by her history seemed tc
be predestined surely to work with
us, not against US. But since oul
honest will for peace has encountered
only jeering on the part of oul
enemies there is no more going back
ward There is only going ahead
possible for u.s.
The chancellor then insisted tha
England obviously endeavored to de
clare that the use of the submarin,
weapon was the greatest crime of his
tory since he said, England con
sidered herself the ordained ruler o.
the oceans and the benefactor o,
humanity He recalled the opinion
expressed on July IA, 1914, by Sill
Percy Scott, to whom he referred a.
one of the greatest English authori
ties on naval history. Sir Percy, he
said, predicted a submarine war ex.
this war and declared that no objec
ton to 1T would be possible on thu
grounds of law or morality. Sill
Percy, the chancellor added, obvious
ly could not have considered that thu
present submarine warfare would be.
come the only German defensive
measure against the Entente Allie.
and the British starvation blockade
LAS is generally known" said the
chancellor. 1--WE did not declare .
blockade, but merely established def
mite barred zones within which every
ship has to count on Immediate at.
tack. That isolated ships escape dan.
ger is therefore self evident. But
that does not change total success
This success we shall be able to OBJ
tain partly by sinkings, which already
has happened in the widest sense
Thanks to the incompatible bravery
of our submarines, we are fully will
ing to await with full confidence fur
Their developments which will be on
the increase"
Starvation of Beers.
The chancellor pointed out that
this British starvation blockade was
not without precedent in English his
tory. Premier Lloyd George himself,
said the chancellor, had protested in
parliament against the cruelty by
which the British victimized thous-
ands of innocent women and children
of the Beers. $Mr. Lloyd George
stated that the death rate among chill
dren below IL years of age was in
those concentration camps 41.6 per
cent; Joseph Cham erlain, then Brit.
ish colonial secretary, admitted that
the death rate among children in the
Orange Free state was temporarily
SIS per cent, the chancellor recount
ed.
"These conditions" he continued,
"were the result of systematic pol
icy of determination under which
women and children were insufficient