The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-10-18
ORR COUNTY'S PATRIOTISM.
CONTINUED from page /, column -

announced on February l, l9lI us
policy of ruthless submarine warfare
and proceeded Immediately to carry
it into effect, sinking American ships
and killing American citizens, that
our relations were first severed ana
q state of war then recognized. AND
because this is true l shall discuss
the submarine controversy from the
beginning of the war to the date Oh
our entrance into it.
International Law Violated.
The principles of International law
are presumed to govern the conduct
of nations just as the laws of the
United States and the laws OF South
Carolina are presumed to govern
YOUR conduct. Under international
law the merchant ship of an enemy IS
subject to capture, and it may be de-
stroyed provided ample provision is
made to place the passengers ana
crew in safety. While this is true OF
enemy merchant ships, the merchane
ships of a neutral nation must not be
destroyed even when they are sub
ject to capture, but must, If possible
be taken into a friendly port to nave
prize court pass upon them. Under no
circumstances is it lawful to kill the
passengers and crew of neutral or
enemy ship except in case of combat
when a merchant vessel resists the
attempt of an enemy warship to exer-
else the right of visit and search or
the right of capture. Even after
such resistance the crew may not be
killed, but must be treated as prison
ers of war.
In violation of these provisions OF
International law Germany an
nounced in January, 1915, the es-
tablishment of war zone and its pur
pose to sink without warning Amerl-
can ships. Our then Secretary OF
State, William Jennings Bryan, i'm
mediately filed a most emphatic pro-
test against this policy, warning Ger
MANY that we would hold them to
strict accountability and leave noth'
ing undone to protect our rights.
On February 6, 1915 the German
Foreign Office said:
s.It is very far indeed from the in
tention of the German government
$ even to destroy neutral lives
and neutral property. The
commanders of submarines have been
instructed, as was already stated in
the note of the 4th instant, to abstain
from violence to American ships when
they are recognizable as such"
Germany's Broken Pledges.
Soon after making this pledge to
us Germany proceeded to violate it
and in defiance of the law sank not
only enemy merchant ships, but
American ships They continued this
policy until the Lusitania was sunk.
causing the death of ia American
citizens-men women and children.
We can recall how the sinking OF
this ship Justly aroused the passions
of the American people. There was
a clamor for a declaration of war by
the people of the United States, and
many conservative thinking men in
sisted that after having warned Ger
many that we would hold them to
strict accountability, there was
nothing left for us to do but declare
war. But the President of the
United States, inspired by the desire
to avoid for his people the horrors of
war, displayed the same infinite
patience which has characterized his
conduct in all of his negotiations with
Germany and called upon Germany
for explanation of the violation OF
its pledge. AS a result of this ne
gotiation on February 16, 1916, the
German Ambassador expressed to us
the regret of his government for the
loss of American lives on the Lusi-
tania. In the note promising re-
paration he stated:
Germany has *limited her sub
marine warfare because of her long
standing friendship with the United
States, and because by the sinking of
the Lusitania, which caused the death
of citizens of the United States, the
German retaliation affected neutrals,
which was not the intention, as re-
taliation should be confined to enemy
subjects
Accepting this statement of the
German government in good faith,
we continued our diplomatic rela-
tions. But it was only year later,