Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1917-12-06

abroad, promoting plots to destroy
our plants, and attempting to sew
dissension among our people. Recall
the history Of our negotiations with
Germany, of our attempts to secure
justice by diplomatic, peaceful means.
February A, 1915, Germany declal-
ed that on and after February Is,
1915, she would regard the waters
around Great Britain and Ireland, in
cluding the Channel, as war zone
and that "every enemy merchant ship
would be destroyed without possib'
ity of avoiding danger to crew an
passengers" She pointed out that
it would not always be possible to
prevent neutral vessels from becom-
ing victims Of submarine attack. This
action was without the color of justi-
fication in international law. Her only
legitimate course was to declare and
to effect a blockade and then, having
done so, to intercept enemy vessels.
discriminating between enemy and
neutral cargoes, in the case of neu-
trail ships captured to take to prize
courts only those carrying contraband.
to sink vessels only in extraordinary
circumstances, and in every case to
give safety to crews and passengers
and to preserve all papers of ships
sunk or captured Because of the al
lied fleets, it was impossible for Ger
many to do these things by the use
of Instruments heretofore employed.
She could attempt them only with
new device-the submarine.
Germany's Specious Reasoning and
Impertinent Demands
Unquestionably new conditions Of
ar had arisen and now means for
waging it had come into existence;
and just as it was recognized that
fleets could not be held to a close
blockade of ports, the old Smile block
ade, so it was tacitly admitted that
submarine could not be expected to
capture and take ship into port but
might sink it, provided it prac'iced
visit and search for purposes of dis
elimination, safeguarded the lives OF
crew and passengers and tn 2!ore
gave ample warning to vessels and
did not sink them in places or under
conditions in which noncombatants
could not secure safety. These THINGS,
under international law, it was reces-
sary that Germany have her subma-
rine commanders do or that she set
aside international law and make
necessity the only law, make law to
suit herself and the desperate condi-
tions into which she had brought her
self by her own aggressive action
The justification Germany attempt
ed to give was that England had de-
clined to respect in full the Declara-
ton of London, had extended unneces-
sarily the list of contraband, had blot
unfair pressure on neutrals, had d1-
clared the North Sea a sea Of war,
and was warning not only on the mill
tary forces of Germany but on the
whole civilian population as wei!
She ignored the fact that England
and her allies had fleets which, by y
the use Of practices recognized by
law, could maintain blockade atls1
which up to this time they have main
tained without sinking or killing nom
combata nts. Germany could not 10
these things and had no right to whine
because the allies could. She is cer-
tainly the last nation in the world tn
demand that only military forces be,
considered as involved in the war,
For centuries Prussia had recognized
clearly, more clearly than any other
government, that whole nation
makes war, had proceeded early to
organize herself on that basis and
had gone out to extend and had re-
peatedly succeeded in extending her
possessions by force against laws of
right and morality. Her tender con-
sideration for the civilian population
and her view of the extent to which
it should be exempted from the pres
sure and horrors Of war are amply il
lustrated by her dealings in Belgium,
northern France, Poland, Serbia, and
on the high seas. Certainly Germany
ought to have thought Of England's
feet and the possibility of being cut
off before she so recklessly embarked
in war. She did not establish, and
mas not yet established even an ap-
effective blockade. She
warned neutrals to
Keep their citizens off enemy mer-
.hant vessels and out of the war zone
Neutral citizens had, and have, per-
ect right to travel on unarmed or
wen defensively armed enemy mer-
hant vessels and to go where they
'lease on the high seas. To have ac-
eded to such insolent dictation from
;ermany would have amounted to a
waiver of international law and rights
nd to the doing of an unne,ltral act
gainst the allies, just as would COM
lance with the suggestions made by
;ermany on February 16 and fire.
fCnn%;r,,oI M po<ro ~.