Salt Lake Telegram | 1916-03-05 | Page 15 | A War Vessel Can be Blown up without Warning; What is a War Vessel? We Leave it to Emperor William

A War r Vessel Can an Be a Blown own Up P What Is War A Without Warning a b Vessel se We Wet Leave It t to Emperor t m William l lam The following ving cablegram has been sent to newspapers of the United United States States for consumption by the American public rather we 1 might b say to puzzle the American public V Berlin The Berlin The German foreign office is puzzled at the position taken i hI by President Wilson that submarine attacks on armed merchantmen will constitute violations of International law We Wo do not know what your president means said the foreign office official who commented on the situation Surely he has has' not received re re- the Woodfield proof referring to the seizure of the British r t 1 f x steamer Woodfield of alleged instructions instruction to British merchantmen me to attack submarines statements he asked Will Germany reply to these was i President Wilson could not have had our data when he wrote this letter he repeated Surely by arming merchantmen and instructing them to take the offensive against submarines the allies violate international international in- in in- in in international law first thereby endangering American lives Ilves Ev wen Even n if it is true that such instructions were given by by bythe the allies to to th their ir merchantmen that does doe not alter the cont contention that it is is' is isa a vi violation lation of international law for Germany to blow blowup up armed merV mer- mer V and liners WITHOUT WARNING t t r c If it is true that armed merchantmen are prepared to d defend th themselves selves against b submarines even then their international onal law is not i ARE ABE NOT SHIPS OF violated because the said armed merchantmen WAR VAR 4 vA tA A nation at w war ivar r has a right aright right to att attack ck and sink without warn- warn ng ONLY A V VESSEL OF OP V WAR AR I c What is a vessel of war warY wart International law explicitly defines and describes it Fortunately Emperor William himself WITH HIS IDS OWN HAND wrote that explicit definition and description Here it is the EXACT ENACT TEXT as unanimously agreed to by The Hague ague tribunal on October 18 13 1907 Convention relative to the conversion of merchant ships into warships I By HIS MAJESTY x THE GERMAN EMPEROR KING ICING I ING OF PRUSSIA etcA etc A merchant ship converted into a warship cannot have the rights and duties accruing to such vessel unless it is placed under the direct authority immediate control and responsibility of the power whose flag Ilag t f it flies t The crew must be subject to military discipline y Every merchant ship converted into a warship must observe must observe in its operations the laws and customs of war Thus Thu international law describes exactly how a merchantman must be c converted to make it a warship It must be directly und under r ithe thea authority of the navy department commanded by naval officers e c c- c operated rop o op crated by a crew under navy discipline and it cannot b be operated Si t rf r as and passenger ship because its business is war and I Inot not trade r UNLESS IT IS ALL THESE IT CANNOT BE TREATED AS A WARSHIP AND BLOWN UP WITHOUT WARNING x So 80 long as this is international law made so so at the direction and b by the consent of all nations NO ONE NATION can repeal it The United Unite States which is the great neutral and one of the na nations ia- ia which made the la law lav v cannot permit it to be repealed except bythe by bythe the consent of all The rhe Berlin foreign office knows vs all all this perfectly perfectly understands understands it as thoroughly w well ll as does docs President nt Wilson It is merely trying to puzzle the thc American people by sending them such statements a as tb the c foregoing cablegram