Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-10-17


chantmen of all neutrals.
IN ANOTHER clarifying letter of Secretary Lam
sing to President Wilson, dated JAN Z, 1916,
after saying that there is no case recorded to my
knowledge Of submarine being destroyed by
gunfire from merchant vessel" the secretary
says:
THE arming of merchant vessels is allowable
when the armament is of such character which
can only be used DEFENSIVELY =. merchant
ship carrying a small caliber gun could destroy
with one shot submarine provided ii came to the
surface within range if il can be so used, it
would appear to lose its defensive character"
The administration cannot thus reconcile its
order to shoot on sight with the claim that the
arming of our merchant fleet is purely "DEFEN-
SIVE.' Secretary Lansing says that even a ship
carrying smacaliber guns is NOT defensively
armored.
Today any kind of Gun mounted on boat
means WAR
In summing his eE position of the ethics and
the standing in International law of armed mer-
chant vessels in this second communication Secre-
tary Lansing says
a merchant vessel therefore, carrying an
armament should be treated by a belligerent
neutral as an armed ship of the enemy and not
possess the immunities attaching to private COM
mercal vessels of belligerent nationality now
set forth in the rules of international law
According to that, armed merchantmen are
an invitation to ANY POWER to shoot at them.
A GAIN, in a letter dated Jan u, 1916, Secre-
a taly Lansing has this to say to President
Wilson:
IL doubt whether we can insist that vessels
so armed can be considered other than AUX
Hilary CRUISERS of the respective navies of
the Allies"
That would put our armed merchant fleet in
the class OF auxiliary cruSerS-to be sunk on
sight by the enemy
Our merchant fleet would then be a mis-
homer These vessels would be WARSHIPS.
Further, in letter to Col L. M. House, dated
Feb :, 1916, Secretary Lansing says
IF (English) merchant ships are armed and
guns used to sink attacking submarines. as has
been done and merchant ships in
structed to do, then it is unreasonable to insist
submarines should take the risk of coming to the
surface to give warning.
In a word, precedent would indicate that if
we arm our boats, every vessel flying the Amer-
can flag will be torpedoed without warning. That
will include passenger cruise ships to South
America and the West Indies for Naz subma-
rine is not bound to find out-at its own risk
whether such pleasure boats" are armed or not.
Secretary Lansing on Feb. 6, 1916, received a
declaration from the German embassy which con-
tanned the following:
Hereafter all enemy merchant vessels armed
with guns will be treated auxiliary cruisers.
All neutraS will be informed accordingly"
IF WE put guns on our boats history will repeat
itself, as Secretary Lansing pointed out. There
will no longer be an American merchant fleet.
AS far back in the war as Sept T. 1919,
Secretary Lansing made this recommendation to
President Wilson
That this government will hereafter treat as
ship of war any merchant vessel of belligerent
nationality which enters an American port with
any armament"
And that is precisely the way the rest of the
world will be bound to treat all armed American
merchantmen
The shooting war will start with the pas
sage Of this administration measure.