The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-27

act Worse thar the iufamy of the
act was its approval and defense by
tha imperial German government,
The Nervousness Of this crime was 60
revolving that It aroused an outraged
America and the civilized world, ana
az last wrung from a reluctant Ger
man government solemn promise
that the offense would not be repeat
ID, The assurance was hardly given
before 1t was grossly violated and
other ships having on board Ameri-
can citizens torpedoed and sunk by
German submarines unte~ conditions
equally cruel and murderous This
unprovoked murder OF American -iti-
zens so inflamed public opinion In
this country that the German govern
ment became apprehensive and re-
peatedly In diplomatic notes assured
our government and people that these
occurrences were unintenuoneli would
be corrected and never again commit
ted, and for them full repsraton
would he made. Our government was
also assured that in the future mer-
chant ships Of whatever nation Nefore
being torpedoed would be searched
and the safety of the passengers as
sured. and In no case would an Amer
lear ship flying the American flag Re
Interfsred with.
HUNS Shameful Confession.
The German chancellor IN an ad-
dress m ade to the reiehetaK On jar
usTy 3ist Of last year, lMu ediately
following the revereal OF the subma-
rine policy of the preceding year and
his gross violations Tn 50 doing, Of
repeated pledges and promises made
10 our government IN explaining the
change stated that there never was
any intention of abandoning the un-
restricted use Of the supmariney ehat
+ he had adopted a policy OF postpone
! ment In order to construct more sub
/ marines and shat now having obtained
/ q sufficient number to be effective the
I time had come to resume this method
+ Of warfare TO the fulle~t. extent
/ NOR shameless confession was never
+ made by a responsible minister. We
we're ccldl- and brutaliy informed
] that Germany never attended 20. keep
/ ner repeated pledges made US 70 deslst
! from Illegal submarine warfare, that
these pledges were made With the de-
.iberatc design Of dereIrirg as, Of lulI-
irg US into farcisG security, ard pre-
, veatluE our war preparations while
! Germany should BE given full orpor-
tunity 10 prepare for .hs Intended
( 0ooflict--a pub1ic admission that Ger
man national faith was freudulently
pledged TO secure BENEFITS from de-
sceptlon and da}av, and that this plight
co national tat'h would now be ruth
lesslv broken. as great advantage
could ne ohtafr 81.
Mt President al Of these wrongs
and violations Of our rights, grogs and
Ha~ran. IS they were. paled into In
significance ta comparison with the
injury and insult sought 70 DO inhict-
ed L the decree issued ny thu Ger
-ual imperial government on il 1uary
Slst Of last year The German i'm
portal governments notified us, In con-
r.aveutloH t.. pledges and promises
made Nc IN more than dozen notes,
that IL would after February 1, OF
that year. mark out > war o. barred
zone ia the Atlantic ocean more than
l.+oe miles long and 1900 miles broad
eli OF tha Mediterranean sea. except a
small portion frinzIns the coast %
. Spain. and that all vessels whatever
: entering the zone, flying the tag Of
any nation bent upon any purpose
Whatsoever would he funk without
u warning. Under this decree entering
this barred zone wss a criminal act
and doomed the merchant ship 70 In
. slant 1estru tion. The German gov
eminent assumed OWNERSHIP and con-
> troll o. this large ~0~t OF the Atlantic
, ocean and pracd~aly the entire Med
tterranean.
r. we Rad acquiesced tn this decree
If the German imperia1 government
there would have Immediately been f
cessation OF practically ali our foreign
commerce. Our ports would have
beer flled 10 overlooking with the
, products OF our labor end industries,
Factories and ~eines would have been
closed. labor now receiving high and
remunerattve wages would nave been
IL employed ana in the deepest depths
p II want and distress. The present rich
and prosperous grain growers OF the
West would have had their barns
filled with wheat, corn and oats for
which there was no profitable mar
g KEEL and instead Of the great wealth
g now possessed by them they woult
A+te been overloaded with hano'
9 ruqtcy and ruin. the vast cotton cror
j uf the South could not have beer
sold for the cost Of production, and
j hat large section would have beer
"a com leteIy Frustrated hy cehf and in
81 solyency The products OF farm
- tajnc. and factory having no prohta-h
e Sal1 could not have pS@n sh4ppe4 ah'
il the traffic on our railroads would have
Z been greatly reduced, resulting u
acute financial distress 10 the holder
Of railroad securities and 10 all thoS
r employees in railroad transportatIon
8 Tufts order crea nE barred zon
properly should be entitled, A dc
cree ~ the German emperor Tor IN