The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-03-13
LANSING ISSUES
CUNNERS' ORDER
TO TRADE SHIPS
Memorandum Defines Dut.
les Of Men Assigned to
Merchantmen.

Washington, March 13.-Secretary
Lansing went to the Navy Depart
ment last yesterday afternoon and
handed Secretary Daniels a conffden-
tial memorandum which he has pre-
pared as the basis for orders which
Will he issued to the gunners who
have been assigned to protect Ameri-
can merchantmen from German SUBJ
marines.
The substance of this memorandum,
which will not tbe published textually,
is:
1. The German submarines are act
ing under orders of Jan. 30 which are
absolutely illegal and they may be
treated as pirates. They have no
standing before the law of nations.
:. The American ships which are to
sail with armament and crews are
absolutely within their rights, from a
legal standpoint. The only law which
they need reco gnize is I the law OF
cruisers, which specifies that a bellig-
erent Warship must warn a peaceful
merchantmen and proceed with the
practice of visiting and searching be-
ei!attacking
3.,IThe crews which are to be plac-
ed aboard the ships have the same
status as armed guards. Their duty
is to protect the vessels in their 1e-
gal rights Their position is analag-
GUS to that Of a policeman who is
placed aboard a street car to protect
the passengers from strike violence.
4. The armed guard is responsible
to the Navy Department for the pro-
lection of the property intrusted to it,
just as the policeman is responsible
to the city authorities.
s. The commanders Of the crew
have an absolute right to fire upon a
German submarine whenever it is
seen in the barred zone, providing it
does not make unmistakable signs of
it's intentions to adhere to cruiser
law.
6. The fact that Germany has pub
licly announced that the submarines
have been ordered to violate this law
should be borne in mind constantly,
because the submarine commanders
cannot respect cruiser law without
violating the Admiralty's orders.
Z. The first duty of the gun crew
is to protect the lives and property
intrusted to them, and therefore, it
would be unWise to take any chances
in the belief that cruiser law would
be respected by submarine crews
which have been publicly ordered to
shoot at sight.
When he presented the memoran-
dunn 20 MI. Daniels, Secretary Lans-
ing DISPOSED of the subject as far as
the State Department is concerned
The memorandum has been turned
over to Admiral Benson, Chief of the
Bureau of Operations: Admiral Ben
son will dictate orders to the gun
crews, and today they will be sent by
wire and wireless to the commandments
|. of various navy yards throughout the
country and the insular possessions,
VINO will transmit them to the men
whose duty it will be to see that they
are carried out.
In preparing his memorandum, Sec
rotary Lansing adhered to the funda-
mental principles of international law
covering the rights of a neutral to pro-
tect it's own shipping, but he brushed
aside with scant consideration all the
false technicalities with which Ger
many has sought to embarrass gov
e-rments which desired to protect
shipping for theirc wn interests.
In order that the American record
may be clear in every detail before
an armed ship leaves a port Of this
country, Secretary Lansing took the
step of informing all governments
with which the United States has dip
lomatic relations of the determination
of this government to protect its ship
ping.
Acted on Wilson's Order.
In taking this step just before turn
ing the policy over to the Navy De-
partment, Secretary Lansing was act
ing under the orders Of President Will
son, who has insisted from the begin
ming of the controversy with Berlin
that Germany shall not even find a
technical flaw in the record Of this
government and put it forward as a
possible excuse for violating the law
or the rights of American citizens.
This is the policy to which the
President has chung for more than
two years, and Secretary Lansing saw
that it was carried out today when
the note was sent to all civilized goy-
ernments except Germany: