Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 114, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1915 — PRESIDENT WILSON LAYS DOWN THE LAW TO THE KAISER [ARTICLE]

PRESIDENT WILSON LAYS DOWN THE LAW TO THE KAISER

Department of State, Washington, May 13, 1915. The Secretary of State to the

American Ambassador at Berlin. Please call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and, after reading this communication, leave with him a copy.

“In view of recent acts of the German authorities in violation of American rights on the high seas which culminated in the torpedoing and sinking of the British steamer Lusitania on May 7, 1915, /by which over 100 American citizens lost their lives, it is clearly wise and desirable that the government of the United States and the imperial German government should come to a clear and full understanding as to the grave situation which has resulted.

“The sinking of the British passenger steamer Falaba by a German submarine on March 28, through which Leon C. Thrasher, an American citizen, was drowned, the attack on April 28 on the American vessel Gushing by a German aeroplane, the torpedoing on Miay 1 of the Gulflight by a German submarine, as a result | of which two or more American citizens met their death, fthd, finally, the torpedoing and sinking of the steamship Lusitania, constitute a sanies of events which the government/ of the United States has observed with growing concern, distress and amazement. “Recalling the humane and enlightened attitude hitherto assumed by the imperial German government in matters of international right, and particularly with regard to the freedom of the seas, having learned to recognize the German views and the German influence in the field of international obligation as always engaged upon the side of justice and humanity, and having understood the instructions of the imperial German government to its naval commanders to be upon the same plane of humane action prescribed by the naval codes oP other nations, the government of the United States was loath to believe —it can not now bring itself to believe—that these acts, so absolutely contrary to the rules, the practices, and the spirit of modem warfare, oould have the countenance or sanction of that great government. It feels it to be its duty, therefore, to address the imperial German government concerning them with the utmost frankness and in the earnest hope that it is not mistaken in expecting actio on the part of the imperial German government which will correct the unfortunate impressions which have been created and vindicate once more the position of that government with regard to the sacred freedom of the seas.

"The government of the United States has been apprised that the imperial German government considered themselyes to be obliged toy the extraordinary circumstances of the present war and the measures adopted by their adversaries in seeking to cut Germany off from all commerce, to adopt methods of retaliation which go much beyond the ordinary methods of warfare at sea, in the proclamation of a war zone from which they have warned neutral ships to keep away. This government 'has already taken occasion to inform the imperial German government that it can not ad-

mit the adoption of such measures or such a warning of danger to operate as in any degree an abbreviation of the rights of American shipmasters or of American citizens bound on lawful errands as passengers on merchant ships of belligerent nationality, and that it must hold the imperial German government to a strict countability for any infringement of those rights, intentional or incidental. It.'does ©t understand the imperial German government to question those rights. It assumes, on the contrary, that the imperial government accept, as of Course, the rule that the lives of noncambatante, whether they be of neutral citizenship or citizens of one of the nations at war, can not lawfully or rightfully be put in jeopardy by the capture or destruction of an unarmed merchant- ; man, and recognize also, as all other : nations do, the obligation to take the usual precaution of visit and search to ascertain whether a suspected merchantman is in fact of belligerent nationality or is in fact carrying con- ! traband of war under a neutral flag. I “The government of the United ! States, therefore, desires to call the ' attention of the imperial German govi emment, with the utmost earnestness, , to the fact that the objection to their present method of attack against the trade of their enemies lies in the practical impossibility of employing submarines in the destruction of commerce without disregarding those rules of fairness, reason, justice and humanity which all modem opinion regards as imperative. It is practically impossible for the officers of a submarine to visit a merchantman at sea and examine her papers and cargo. It is practically impossible for them to make a prize of her, and, if they cannot put a prize crew oh board of her, they cannot sink her without leaving her crew and all on board of her to the mercy of the sea in her small boats. These facts? it is understood the imperial German eminent frankly admit. We are informed that in the instances of which we have spoken time enough for even that poor measure of safety was not given, and in at elast two of the cases cited not so much as a warning was received. Manifestly submarines cannot be used against merchantmen, as the" last few weeks have shown, without an inevitable violation of many sacred principles of justice and humanity. “American citizens act within their .indisputable rights in taking their ships and in traveling wherever their legitimate business calls them upon the high seas, and exercise those rights in what should be well-justi-fied confidence that their lives will not be endangered by acts done in clear violation ' of universally acknowledged international obligation and certainly in the confidence that their own government will sustain them in the exercise of their rights. “There was recently published in the newspapers of the United States, I regret to inform the imperial German government, a formal warning, purporting to come from the imperial German embassy at Washington, addressed to the people of the United States and stating, in effect, that any citizen of the United States who exercised his right of free travel upon

the seas would do so at his peril if his journey should take him within the zone of waters within which the imperial German navy was using submarines against the commerce of Great Britain and France, notwithstanding the respectful but very earnest protest of this government, the government of the United States. I do not refer-to this for the purpose of calling the attention of the imperial German government at this time to the surprising irregularity of a communication from the imperial German embassy at Washington addressed to' the people of the United States through the newspapers, but only for the purpose of pointing out that no warning that an unlawful and inhumane act would be committed can possibly be accepted as an excuse or palliation for that act or as an abatement of the responsibility for its commission.

“Long acquainted as this government has been with the character of the imperial German government and with the high principles of equity by which they have in the past been actuated and guided, the government of the United States cannot believe that the commanders of the vessels which committed these acts of lawlessness did so except under a misapprehension of the orders issued by the imperial German naval authorities. It takes it for granted that, at least within the practical possibilities of every such case, the commanders even of submarines were expected to do nothing that would involve the lives of noncombatants or the safety of neutral ships, even at the cost of failing of their object of capture or destruction. It confidently expects, therefore, that the imperial German government will disavow the acts of which the government of the United States complain, that they will make reparation so far as reparation is possible for injuries which arre without measure, and that they will .take immediate steps to prevent the recurrence of anything so obviously subversive of the principles of warfare for which the imperial German government have in the past so wisely and so firmly contended. “The government and people of the United States look to the imperial German government for just, prompt and enlightened action in this vital matter with the greater confidence because the United States and Germany are bound together not only by special ties of friendship, but also by the explicit stipulations of the treaty of 1828 between the United States and the Kingdom of Prussia. “Expressions of regret and offers of reparation in case of the destruction of neutral ships sunk by mistake, while they may satisfy international obligations, if no loss of life results, cannot justify or excuse a practice, the natural and necessary effect of which is to subject neutral nations and neutral persons to new and immeasurable risks. “The imperial German government will not expect the government of the United States to omit any word or any act necessary to the performance of its sacred duty of maintaining the rights of the United States and its citizens and of safeguarding their free exercise and enjoyment. “BRYAN”.