Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-04-07

German government has swept aside
under the plea Of retaliation and neces-
sitv and because it had no weapons
which ii could use at sea except those
which IL is impossible to employ as 1t
Is employing without throwing to the
winds all scruples of humanity or Of
respect for the understandings that
were supposed to uuderlie the inter
course Of the world. ] am not now
thinking of the property involved, i'm
mense and serious as that is, but only
Of the wanton aud wholesale destruc-
tion Of the lives of noncombatants
men, women and children, engaged In
pursuits which have always, even in
the darkest periods of modern history,
been deemed innocent and legitimate.
Property can be paid for; the lives Of
peaceful and innocent people cannot
be. The present German submarine
warfare against commerce is war
fare against mankind.
War Against All Nations.
II is war against all nations. Amer
lives taken in ways which 1t has stirred
us very deeply to learn of, but the
ships and people of other neutral and
friendly nations have been sunk and
overwhelmed In the waters in the same
way There has been no discrimina-
ton. The challenge is to all mankind.
Each nation must decide for itself how
Ii viii meet H. The choice we make for
ourselves must be made with n medita-
ton of counsel and a temperatures
Of Judgment BETTING our charac-
ter and motives as nation. We must
put excited feeling away Our motive
will not be revenge or the victorious
assertion of the physical might of the
nation, but only the vindication Of
right OF human right, of which we are
only single champion.
Armed Neutrality Impraeticable.
When l addressed the congress on
the 10Th of February | thought that
IL would suffice to assert our neutral
rights with arms our right to use these
as against unlawful interference with
our right to keep our people safe
against unlawful violence But armed
neutrality, It now appears, is imprac-
ucable. Because submarines are in eff
feet outlaws when used as the Ger
man submarines have been used
against merchant shipping. It Is impoS-
Sible to defend ships against their at
tacks. as the law Of nations has as
sumed more merchantmen would de
fend themselves against privateers or
cruisers visible craft giving chase upon
the open sea.
1t is common prudence in such cir
( cumstanceS, grim necessity. indeed. to
endeayor to destroy them before they
have shown their own intention. They
must be dealt with upon sight. If dealt
with at all The German government
I denies the right Of neutralS To use
arms at all within the areas Of the sea
/ which II has prescribed. even in the
defense of rights which no modern pub
T ltCist has ever before questioned their
right "a defend, The inumation is con-
Veyed that the armed guards which we
have placed upon our merchant ships
viii hr yreoted as beyond the pale Of
law and subject To be dealt with AS
pirates would be. Armed neutrality is
Intellectual enough at hest; In such cir
+ cumStanceS and i'm the face of such pre-
tensions IL is worse than Intellectual. II
is aEeiy only 10 produce what It was
meant 10 prevent it is practically Ger
tain 60 draw us into the wnr without
either the rights or the effectiveness of
beIllg%eutS. There is enc choice we