Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1915 — WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1915 [ARTICLE]

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1915

SUBMARINES AND OLD PIIINCIt PLES. The fact that the submarine is a new weapon in warfare has caused some confusion of mind in regard! to the principles of international law regarding attacks on merchant ves- { sels. It is argued by some that be- 1 , cause of this new mechanical invention ne.w principles of law should be created to adapt themselves to it. Why, it is argued, shall a nation which lias an effective weapon be restrained from using it? This question is put in a way suggesting that there is something intolerable in the restraining of a nation front use of an effective weapon. But all forms of warships—ships that sailed the seas long before the submarine was thought of as more! than an idle dream—-were possessed c£ effective weapons with which to destroy merchantmen, ahh it would always have been a much simpler and more effective way to dispose of these merchantmen by attack Without warning gnd without investigation. The requirement to stop and examine a vessel before firing upon her has always been a great inconvenience, and the requirement that her crew and passengers be removed before sinking of a vessel has always been troublesome, and yet it has always been a requirement hitherto met With* even under circumstances of extreme temptation to act Valuable prizes have been allowed to go on their w r ay, unmolested, because it was impossible to remove the crew to safety. Doubtless some of the confusion of mind on this subject is due to the fact that German shipping has been completely swept from the seas and that all German warships other than submarines have also been rendered Ineffective by the perponderance of the allies in naval strength. Germany, therefore, at present has no interest in the principle of protecting her own merchant vessels from submarine attack and can give the appearance of being dealt with unfairly because her submarines are

the only vessels which have succeeded in evading the vigilance of her enemies. But it must be remembered that in order to gain this naval superiority her enemies have been compelled to be superior in the kinds of vessels that are able to comply with the rules of international law. German merchant vessels have not been driven front the sea by submarines, nor has the British blockade been made effective by their use, although the allies have many submarines. That Germany lacks the means of carrying on effective and legal warfare,on the seas is not the fault of neutrals, and neutrals should not be made to suffer because of this. No such “mistakes” as have resulted in the sinking qf American and other neutral ships could occur if the law requiring warning and search were observed, and Germany has no more right to use her submarine weapon without such warning and search than other nations have had to use the guns on other kinds of warships before taking the trouble to find out whether their suspicions as to a merchant vessel were justi-fied.—-Indianapolis News.