The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-10-17
GERMANS PROTEST
USE OF SHOT GUNS
THREATEN TO EXECUTE ANY
AMERICAN CAUGHT WITH
SHOT GUN AMMUNITION

The barbarous American shotgun is
now listed with such war-weapons as
poison-gas and liquid fire, if we are to
believe Germany's protest, and some of
our editors find it hard to decide whether
| the solemn expostulation deserves wrath
or laughter The German objection to
our use Of the shotgun, we learn from
/ Associated Press dispatches, was made
in an ultilnatum to the United States
through the Swiss legation that if no
satisfactory answer were forthcoming by
October | reprisals would be taken, and
it was pointed out to this government
that prisoner on whom shotgun or
shotgun ammunition is found forfeits his
life. AS we hold a hundred German
prisoners to every ten Americans in
enemy prison-camps, we can indulge on
larger scale in reprisal, say some edi-
-torial observers, as they note Secretary
Lansing reply to the ultimatum, which
reads in part as follow'sl;...
IF the German government chotld
carry out its threat in a single instance,
it will be the right and duty of the
United States to make such reprisals as
will best protect the American forces,
and notice is hereby given of the inten-
ton of the Government of the United
States to make such reprisals"
Although this reply is clothed in diplo-
matte language, remarks the Philadelphia
Inquirer, "even the thick-witted men who
are rocking the German throne at this
hour must understand its meaning"
Germany's protest against the use of
shotguns, agree several of our editors,
brings to the Verge of temperamental
explosion" every American who reflects |
on the facts thus stated by the ST. Paul |
"The Hun, who initiated the use of
gas which causes its victims to die in
anguish or to linger on in unspeakable |
the Hun who initiated the
Use of flame -throwers to burn their vic
inns alive, the Hun who uses saw-tooth
oayonets and cries 'Kamerad' when
throwing a bomb, the Hun who has
killed scores of children in France and
England, who has torpedoed without
warming any number of non-combatant
yessels carrying women and children,
who has destroyed plainly marked Red
Cross hospitals and ships filled with
who has driven helpless civil
ans into slavery and outraged their
the Hun who has stood behind
he Turk in his drowning and disem-
,oweling of Armenians, this Hun threat
ms to execute American prisoners of
var who are caught with shotguns or
hotgun ammunition on their persons
"The real objection of the Hun, of
.ourse to the use of shotguns is that
hey are efficient Charged with buck
hot, they make the same kind Of
Wounds as bullets. But they have
he power, at short range, of making
more of them and of spreading out like
he contents of shell, insuring hit
wen if the craftsmanship is inferior and
caring the daylights out of the Huns,
Who already are filled with panic by the
laring and resourcefulness of the
brown devils.
The Louisville Post doubts whether
t will be necessary to resort to reprisals,
ecause Germany is now weakening all
long the line" and the Savannah Press
onsders her protest similar to the OBJ
ection to the use of rope on the part OF
man who is going to be hanged" The /
Boston Globe assures us our boys :
wouldn't hesitate to use a shotgun even ,
n the Kaiser" while the Peoria Tran
cript inquiries rather caustically whether
is not still customary ito shoot skunks
18th shotguns. Literary Digest. {