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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1915)
."Y!? F op jvvM,.:?.y The Commoner 3 VOL. 35, NO. 6 i,' 'v v ' ,M j edL E?;.-- ?w- fcVA . all other najtions, and upon it, every traveler and seaman Ijad a. right to depend, it Is upon this principle pC, humanity as well as upon the law Jfoundetl.uppn this principle that the United ,Stqtcs must stand. AIDTOWAKD MITIGATING WAR TERRORS The government of the United States is happy to observe that your excellency's note closes with tho intimation that the Imperial German govern 'merit id willing now as before, to accept the good bfllccs of tho United States in an attempt to cbme to an understanding with the government of Great Britain by which the character and con ditions of the war upon the sea may be changed. "Flic' government of the United States would con sider it h privilege thus to serve its friends and the world. It stands ready at any time to convey to either government any intimatidn or suggestion 'the other may bo willing to have It convey, and cordially invites tho Imperial German government to make use of its services in this way at its con venience. The whole world is concerned in any thing that may bring about even a partial ac commodation of interests v in any way mitigate the terrors of the present distressing conflict. In tho meantime, whatever arrangement may happily be made between the parties to the war and whatever may, in the opinion of the Impe rial German government have been the provoca tion or the circumstantial justification for the past acts of tho commanders at sea, the govern ment of the United States confidently looks to see the justice and humanity of the government of Germany vindicated in all cases where Anier 'cans have been wronged or their rights as neu trals invaded. The government of the United States there fore very earnestly and very solemnly renews the reoresentations of its note transmitted to the Imperial German government on the 15th of May, and relies in these representations upon .the principles of humanity, the universally rec ognized understandings of international law and the ancient friendship of the German nation. i-. RIGHTS OF AMERICANS. IN "WAR ZONE" Tho government of the United States can not '-admit that the proclamation 'of a war feone from 'which neutral ships have been warned to keep away mav be made to operate as in any degree an abbreviation of the rights either of American shipmasters or of American citizens bound on 'lawful errands as passengers op merchant ships of belligerent, nationality. It does not understand the Imnorial German gdvernment to question these riehts. It understands it also to accept as 'established beyond question the principle that the IIvps of non-combatants can not lawfully or .rightfully be put in jeopardy by the capture or destruction of an unresisting merchantman, and ;to rofoernizo tho obligation to take sufficient pre caution to ascertain whether a suspected mer chantman is in fact a belligerent nationality or Is in fnet carrying contraband of war under a .neutral flag. 4 The government of the United States there fore deems it reasonable to expect that the Im perial German government will adopt the meas ures necessarv to put these principles into prac- tlce In rosnect of the safeguarding of American lives and Americau ships, and asks for assurances-that this will be done. (Signed) ' ROBERT LANSING, T : ' Secretary of State ad 'Interim. . Mr. Bryan Resigns as : Secretary of State Tho Secretary of State, Washington, June 9, 1015. My. Pear Mr. President: v.It is with sincere regret that I have reached the conclusion that I should return to you the commission of secretary of state with which you honored mo at tho beginning of your administra tion, .. (Obedient to your sense of duty and actuated .uy.tho highest motives, you have prepared for , transmission to the German government a note . in which I can not join without violating what I deem to bo an obligation to my country and the issue involved is of such moment that to remain-a member of the cabinet would bo as unfair to you ns it would be to the cause which is near est mv heart, namely, tho prevention of war I thor.otore respectfully tender my resignation to ,i.teBB-ftPctwhen the note is sent, unless you pre fer .earlier hour, ....,..,; ,AUKe.acairouB or reaching a, peaceful solution of ) tho problems arising ,out , of the use of sub marines against merchantmen we find ourselves differing irreconcilably as to the methods which should be employed. If falls to your lot to speak officially to the nation. I conceive it to be none tho less my duty to endeavor as a private citizen to promote the end which you have in view by means which you do not feel at liberty to use. In severing the intimate .and pleasant relations which have existed between us during the past two years, permit me to acknowledge tho pro found satisfaction which it has given mo to be associated with you in the important work which has Come before tho state department and to thank you for tho courtesies extended. With the heartiest good wislies for your per sonal welfare and for the success of your admin istration, I am, my dear Mr. President, Very truly yours, Tho President, W. J. BRYAN. Tho White House. The President Accepts Mr. Bryan's Resignation , : The White House, Washington, June 9, 1915. My dear Mr. Bryan: I accept your resignation only because you in sist upon its acceptance; and I accept it with much more than deep regret, with a feeling of personal sorrow. Our two years of close asso ciation have been very delightful to me. Our judgments havo accorded in practically every matter of official duty and of public policy until now ; your support of the work and purposes of the administration has been generous and loyal beyond praise; your devotion to the duties of your great office and your eagerness to take ad vantage of every great opportunity for service it offered have been an example. to the rest of us; you have. earned our affectionate admiration and friendship. Even now we are not separated in the object we seek but only in the methptL by w.b'cfy we seek it. ... 1L-( .. It Is for these reasons that my feeling about your retirement from the secretaryship of state goes much deeper than regre I sincerely de plore it. Our objects are the same and we ought to pursue them together. I yield to your desire only because I must and wish to bid you God sneed in the parting. We shall continue to work for the same causes even when we do not work in the same way. With affectionate regard, Sincerely yours,' WOODHOW WILSON. Hon. William Jennings Bryan, Secretary of State. Two Points of Difference Mr. Bryan gave out the following statement to the public at the timo of the sending of the Ger man note, the timo designated for his resigna tion to tako effect: . "My reason foi resigning is clearly stated in my letter of resignation, namely, that I may era ploy as a private citizen tho means which the president does not feel at liberty to emplov I honor him for doing what he believes to be riiht and I am sure that he desires, as I do to find a peaceful solution of the problem which has been created by the action of the submarines Two of the pointB upon which wo differ each conscientious in conviction, are, first, a to the suggestion of investigation by an international commission and, second, as to warning Amor leans against traveling on belligerent vessels or with cargoes of ammunition. I believe .that this nation should frankly state to Germany that w2 jr willing to apply in this case tte Vrinbime which we are bound by treaty to apply to dis putes between the United States and the th rty countries with which we have made treaties Zl v ding for investigation of all disnutes of 'eve character and nature. These treaties hphIL a under this administration, make war' JKSX impossible between this country and those ? th? v rernments representing nearly tine SoupftS of all the people of the world. Among the im BH ;SU rWh,Ch W6 llUV0 thea(J treaties ar?GrS nati0na, we agree that the" tion of war and no commencement ofLvS until the matters in dispute hava wl ? ' lit,e.B Rated by an international commit VeiSti" year's time' is 'allowed for InwlUta? SS' POrt. Thislan WlZ without any. exceDtiona wimmr .was' one. of the nations, that accepted tnna?y ciple being.the.tweif?h, I thint? "v treaty was actually. entered into with n but I can not see that that should stanfinT' way when both nations endorsed the nri L i th? do not know whetlier,Germany wouhl lolh l offer, but our. country should? in my iS ih? make the offer. Such an offer If PWment at once relieve the tension and s SeS Jingoes who are demanding war. Germ! i always been a friendly nation and aZ? , aS of our people are of German ai cestrv should we not deal with Germany acconlin7 support t0 the natIon SSSSSi . The second point of difference is as to tho course which should be pursued in regard 0 Americans traveling on belligerent ships or with cargoes of ammunition. Why should an Amer- ican citizen be permitted to involve his country in war by traveling upon a belligerent ship when .he knows that the ship will pass through a danger zone? The question fc. not whether an American citizen has a right, under international aw, to travel on a belligerent ship; the question is whether he ought not, out of consideration for ,his country if ,not for his own safety, avoid danger when avoidance is. possible. It is a very one-sided citizenship 0iat compels a government to go to war over a citizen's rights and yet re lieves the citizen of all. obligation to consider his .nation's welfare. I do not know just how far the president can legally, go in actually preventing Americans from traveling on belligerent ships, but I believe the government should go as far as it can and that in case of doubt it should give the benefit of the doubt, to the government. But even if the government could not legally prevent citizens from traveling on belligprent ships, it could, and in my judgment should, earnestly ad vise American citizens, not to risk themselves, or the peace of their country, and I have no doubt that these warnings would be heeded. President Taft advised Americans to leave Mex- , ico when insurrection broke out there, and Pres ident Wilson1 hafc repeated the advice. This ad vice, in 'my judgmeht, was Eminently wise, and I think the same course shottid be followed in re gard to, warning Americans to keep off of ves sels subject to attack. I v think, too, that American passenger ships should be prohibited from carrying ammunition. The lives of passengers ought not to be endang ered by cargoes of ammunition whether that danger comes from possible explosions within or from possible attacks from without. Passengers and ammunition should not travel together. The 1 attempt to prevent American citizens from incur ring these risks is (entirely consistent with the efforts which our government is making to pre vent attacks from submarines. The use of one remedy does riot exclude the use of the other. The most familiar illustration is. to be found in action taken by municipal authorities during a riot. It is the duty of the mayor to suppress the mob and prevent violence, but he does not hesi- , tate to warn citizens to keep off the streets dur ing the riot. He does not, question their right to use the streets but, for their own protection and in the interest of order, he warns them not to in cur the risks involved ip going upon the streets when men are shooting at each other. The president does not feel justified in taking , the action above suggested; that is, he does not feel justified, first, in suggesting the submission , of the controversy tp investigation, or, second, in warning the people npt to incur the extra hazard involved in traveling on belligerent ships or on ships carrying ammunition; and he may he right in the position 'he has taken, but as a pri vate citizen, I am free to urge both of these propositions and to; call public attention to these , remedies in the hope of securing such an ex pression of public sentiment as will support tiie president in employing these remedies if in tne future he finds it consistent with his sense oi duty to favor them." . . In giving out the above, Mr. Bryan added tnai he would reserve other' points of difference ior future presentation. ! The Real Issue Mr. Bryan issued the following statement Juno 11: "To tho American People: "You now havo before you the text of the note to Germany--the note which it would havG "y ray official duty to sign had I remained 6ccrew of state. I ask 'you to sit in judgment upon ' V v E 'fr'iXU' lMftWfk