Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-19
TWO KINDS OF VIOLATIONS
NOT OF SAME CHARACTER
heterogeneous OF U. s. Rights by
Great Britain Far Different
From Those by Germany.
SENATOR WILLIAMS TALKs
Pays Respects to "Wnlful Group"
Who Prevented Action on Armed
Neutrality Bill-Denics America
Has Not Been Fair From First.
Especial 20 The Timcs-Dispatch

Especial 20 The Times Dispatch
WASHINGTON. March lS.-Sena,or
John Sharp Williams. Of mississippi,
ranking Democratic member OF the
Foreign Relations Committee, in
caustic statement just issued shows in
nm emphatic way that the violations of
American rights by Great Britain ar.
far different from the violations on
the part OF Germany.
Anybody. the Senator says. who can.
not see this difference. cant see the
difference between n prize court and n
torpedo" or the difference between a
bale OF cotton and human life"
Incidentally. Senator williams pays
his respects to the group OF Senator'S
whose conscience" not only impelled
them to speak and vote against the
armed neutrality bill. but also impelled
them to prevent the Senate recording
its own Judgment upon that measure.
In his statement. the Senator says:
"All this talk about munitions man.
ufacturers and Wall Street stirring I'D
war feeling is nonsense. Neither tho
munition manufacturers nor We'll
Street sank the I.usitanla, nor the Ara
bic. nor the Sussex, nor the Lacon.a,
nor published the German note threat
eninG to go further and sink every
thing.
II deny that our country has not been
fair from the beginning. Anybody who
wants TO put upon an equal footing
the character OF violations OF our neu-
trail rights perpetratsd by Great Brit
ain and France. and tho character or
violations Of our neutral rights per.
p"tratcd by Germany. can't see tho
difference between a prize court and
a torpedo, To my mind, there is a
vast difference. Neither can he SEQ
tho difference between a bale of cot
ton and a human lie. To my mind.
again, there is vast difference.
GERMANS POSITION
ONE OF INSULT
1T is true that there have been VIC.
iations OF our neutral rights by both
sides. but nobody with n particle of
humanity in his makeup, can put the
tw" characters OF violations upon the
same footing. We have been informed
by Germany that she will sink our
ships, as we'll as our citizens upon the
ships OF other nations. if we dared
come within zone of fire which she
has drawn, unless we came on our way
to Falmouth with our ships PAINTED
like a barber pole. I am fnot willing
to put up with that sort bf thing. r
would rather be dog and die with
out any immortality than &C. submit
not only to injury. but to insult.
think gentleman would rather he in
cured than insulted. Germany's posi.
ton towards us has been purely one
or insult The men who carried on
the ftibustHr in the Senate knew thar
the Senate had to adjourn at - o'clock
noon on the 4th OF March.
Some say that the President was
wrong in denouncing men who did
nothing eScep. 10 take ADVANTAGE OF
their conceded privilege. Men IN this
world have not only rights, but du.
ties. The right sort OF man paw
more attention to his duties than hs
does TO his rights. 4 man who would
take advantage OF conceded priyi-
legc-which Is not even right, but
merely privleSe-in order to DEFY
the House OF Representatives.. seven
eisnths or the Senate. the President
OF the United States and the people
OF the United States. neither deserves
nor can have. any charity in the minds
OF those who think that duty is. as
robert r.. Leo pronounced It TO be. tho
noblest word in the English lansua-e"