The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-03-10

4
ment which is sufficient TO fight the
war vessel 1t can hardly be expect
ed to discharge its duties under the
muZHle of guns. whatever their pur-
pose may be; without mentioning the
fact that merchantmen of the en-
tente powers, despite all assurances
TO the contrary, AREAS has been
proVed-provided with arms for an
aggressive purpose and also use them
for this purpose.
1T would also be q misinterpreta-
ton Of the duties OF humanity TO de-
mand that crews of war vessels ex-
pose themselves without defense to
arms OF the enemy. No state could
value it's duties of humanity toward
The legal defenders Of the fatherland
! loss than its duties towards subjects
Of foreign powers. The Austro- Hun
gaTian government therefore could
| nave stated from convict N that its
promise made to the Washington
cabinet did not extend, from the very
beginning, to armed merchantmen.
! because they, according to the valid
! principle and right which restrict hos
| ulities to organized forces are to be
| regarded as pirate vessels which may
ne destroyed"
"As history shows it was never
permitted under general interna~
tonal law that merchantmen Oppose
the exercise of the right of CAPTURE
~ war vessels. Even il a regulation
Of such kind could be found, this
would not prove that vessels should
be allowed to arm themselves. 1t
must also be taken into cOnsidcra-
rion that the arming of merchantmen
would completely transform warfare
on the sea and that such q trans
formation can not correspond with
the intentions of those who ende1vor
to bring to bear the principles Of hu-
manity in warfare on sea. In fact.
since the abolition Of privateerin" no
government until n few years ago has
thought in the least of arming NOR
chantnen. At the second peace con-
ference, which was occupied with all
questions of naval war law, the ann
ing of merchantmen was mentioned
| only once. This utterance, however
is significant because it was made
By high naval officers, who freely de
clared: When a warship proposes to
stop and visit a merchant ship the
commander before launching q small
boat will cause u cannon shot to be
Cred. a cannon shot is the best guar
antec that can be given. Merchant
ships have no cannon on board
Notwithstanding that. Austria
hungary adhered to her promise
also as regards this question. In the
mentioned circular note neutrals
were warned in time against entrust-
ing their persons and property to
armed vessels. The issued measure
was not put in force at once, bat a
Period Of grace was given in order
to enable neutrals to leave armed YES
, aCls which they already had boarded.
Finally hUstro-Fiwaarian war vce-
sclr themselves have been instructed,
even in the case OF encountcria2
armed enemy mcrcl men, if in
Wow OF the circumstances it j. pos
lbie. 10 issue q warming and take
care Of the rescue Of passengers.
Tho statement of the American
! embassy that the armed British
steamers Secundo, Uno and Welsh
Prince were torpedoed by Austrc-
Hungarian submarines without warn
ing is erroneous. (The Cecundo and
Cno are listed in marine registers as
Norwegian vessels.) The Austro-
Hungarian government meanwhile
| received Information that no Austro-
hungarian var vessels took part in
the sinking of these steamers.
"In the same manner as in the re-
pcatedly mentioned circular note, the
| Austro Hungarian government-and
Herewith it comes back to the ques-
zion OF intensified submarine warfare
-a$ mentioned at the beginning of
his aide mcmoire and also in its dec
la'ation Of January 81 OF the current
year issued q warming to ali neutrals
by fixing certain period. Moreover
the whole declaration represents in
essence nothing else bat a warming.
namely, that no merchantmen will be
allowed to enter the sea areas exactly
described in the declaration.
"Moreover Austro- Hungarian war