The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-25

LlDn OF new piracy C0nIiuuSds are
exposed to danger in the war zones,
as, in view of the misuse OF neutral
flags ordered on Jan. 81 by the Brit
ish government and Of the accidents
OF naval war, 1t cannot always be
avoided to strike even neutral ships
in attacks that are directed at enemy
ships"
Great Britain previously had block
AIDED all German ports. The block
ade was effectuai. IL was maintained
/ in conformity with the established
principles of international law. BY
orders in council, she had increased
the list Of articles contraband of war
science had made useful for purposet
of war. She had sought bv estab-
fishing a thorough. and no doubt
vexatious system Of search of neutral
merchant ships, to prevent Germany
4 from procuring through the Scandi-
navian countries supplies to enable
her to prosecute the war. But these
were all proceedings against ships
and goods, The lives Of neutrals
were scrupulously protected.
Germany, however, had developed
concluded furnished her with a more
defective weapon against her enemies
than any other in her possession.
She feared to meet the British feet
on the high seas. Her armies had
been defeated by the French and
English in France and were held
from making further progress to the
westward. Therefore, again adopting
the principle that necessity knows no
law, which she had invoked in
justification of her invasion Of Bel
GUM, she determined to inaugurate
a reign Of terror on the high seas by
adopting towards friend and foe in
discriminatory the methods OF the
midnight assassin and the black
handler.
America Swift to Protest.
The American government was
swift to protest against this adbion.
1t pointed out the consequences of the
destruction of any OF its vessels or
the lives of any of its citizens through
the operations of this new system,
and gave warning that II the
Threatened course were pursued the
American government would be con-
strained to hold the Imperial Ger
man government to strict account
ability for such acts. Germany did
PERSIST, and on May 7, 1915. the pass
lenger steamer 'Lusitania,' on a voy-
ltorpedoed, without warning, by a
German submarine, off the coast Of
Ireland, and more than q thousand
Ipeople-men, women and children,
| Including upwards Of 100 American
lcitizens-sent to a watery grave.
From that moment, war between the
United States and Germany became
inevitable. True, 1t was postponed
nearly two years. True, our govern
ment strove against the inexorable
logic of events to avert war. True,
a year afterwards, II seemed as
though America would not arouse
herself to fight for the maintenance
of those rights which are essential
to continued independence. None
the less, the traditions, the history
and the institutions of America made
it impossible that she should long
tolerate the interference with her
commerce and the destruction OF the
lives Of her citizens uniawfully upon
the high seas, resulting from the new
and brutal methods of German sub
marine warfare.
Our Tsmporlzins Failed,
But, for a time, the government OF
our country tempoFized. The sink
ing of the ferryboat Sussex with her
freight of passengers, including a
number of Americana, on March "a,
1915, was, however, a sharp reminder
that the issue was still a live one
which must be dealt with. 1t pro-
voked our government to renewed
vigor. Germany at first resorted to
the weapon of falsehood, which she
has made familiar in this war. She
denied that one Of her submarines
had attacked the Sussex. This
speedily was shown to be untrue.
The German government then
grudgingly announced a concession
in the methods of conducting her
submarine warfare.
I'm accordance with the general
principles of visit and search and
destruction of merchant vessels, both
within and without the area declared
as q naval war zone, she advised
our government, she instructed her
naval commanders that merchant
vessels shall not be sunk without
warning and without saving human
lives, unless these ships attempt TO
escape or offer resistance.
This concession being made, the
German government suggested that
the United States should take steps
20 compel Great Britain to modify
her restrictions upon the admission
10 Germany Of the supplies which
were cut off by the enforcement OF
her blockade and her orders in coun-
Gil. Secretary Lansing promptly re-
piled that this government cannot
for a moment entertain, much less
discuss, a suggestion that respect by
German naval authorities for the
rights of citizens of the United
States upon the high seas should in
any way or in the slightest degree
be made contingent upon the con-
duct Of any other government affect
ing the rights Of neutrals and non
eombatants".
Lull In Submarine War.
For a few months following this
correspondence, there was a subsld-
ence in the German submarine at
tacks upon merchant ships. 1t now
appears that during this period Ger
many was building q feet OF sub
marines and preparing to renew her
original method of submarine war
fare. In the meantime, her ambas-
sador and other agents in this coun-
try were engaged in fomenting
strikesin our industrial plants engag-
ed in manufacturing supplies for the
Allied powers, procuring explosions
influencing newspaper opinion, and
even such plants, placing bombs
among cargoes on outgoing vessels,
corruptly endeavoring TO create an
anti American alliance with Mexico
and Japan.
All this time. with characteristic
duplicity, the German government
also was conducting a correspond
ence ostensibly in the interests OF
peace, and not only filling the press
Of England. France and America with
arguments in favor Of "a peace with
out victory" but inducing our own
government to believe in the SINGER
ity of her protestation and her gem
uine desire TO bring the war to a
just conclusion. Then, when all
these things had served their purpose