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THE FATHERLAND 11
PROMINENT STATESMEN ON LUSITANIA
CASE
General Opinion that Americans Took Their Lives in
Their Hands as Passengers of Enemy Ship
ICE-PRESIDENT MARSHALL said that anyone who puts
his foot on a ship liying the English flag is practically on Eng-
lish soil.
Captain Turner, commander of the Lurimnio, said: “Well, it is
the fortune of war.” '
Senator T. J. VValsh: “Our citizens must yield to the warning
given to keep out of the waters surrounding Great Britain or we
must take the other alternative and make war. I am not yet pre-
pared to declare that either interest or honor requires that we
choose the latter."
Senator VVm. J. Stone, Chairman Committee on Foreign Re-
lations: “American citizens, it must not be forgotten, went aboard
a belligerent ship with full knowledge of the risk and after oliicial
warning by the German Government. VVhen-on board a British
vessel they were on British soil. W'as not their position sub-
stantially equivalent to being within the walls of a fortified city?
It appears to me that from our standpoint as a neutral nation, the
Culfffght case presents a more delicate and serious complication
than the case of the Lzm'!am'a.”
Senator Chas. N. Thomas: “The Lu.i':'tam'a tragedy differs only
in degree from that of the Falaba. Apart from their greater
fatalities neither may develop a condition so acute as the destruc-
tion of the Guljii'gh!.”- ‘ .
Senator Gilbert M. Hitchcock: “The loss of American lives was
not caused by desire to injure America, but was incidental or acci-
dental, and if reparation is made does not become a cause for us
to abandon neutral attitude."
Senator VVm. E. Borah: “That disaster and the loss of the lives
of American citizens would be calculated ordinarily to arouse great
feeling throughout the country, and doubtless the American people
do feel deeply upon the subject; but to my mind: 156 Siflklng 0f “I5
steamship of a foe upon which happens to be found American
citizens is by no means to be compared with the act of hunting out,
robbing, assaulting and murdering American citizens in a neigh-
boring country. VVe have lost more citizens in Mexico than we will
lose on the Lu.i-itani'a, and as our policy with reference to Mexico
seems to be well settled and accepted, there is no Posslble T39-50“
why we should apply a different policy toward Germany. I don't
anticipate‘ any change of policy because of this unfortunate affair.”
Representative VV. L. Jones, of Washington: “Our citizens have
rights, but they should not insist on exercising them in a way likely
to involve us in war. VVhen they sail in foreign ships into danger-
ous territory they should understand that they take the risk. -Innm
cent people at home should not be embroiled in war on their ac-
count.”
Representative A. Mitchell Palmer. of Pennsylvania; “The
Liisitaiiia was flying the British flag, and carrying munitions of
war‘ for the support of a belligerent. Neutral P35533861’-S: )Vh0v 1“
the face of warnings, undertook this perilous voyage. Certainly 35'
sinned some risk themselves, for which the entire nation ought not
to be asked to suffer, Of course, the. destruction of a passenger
boat is horrible. VVar is always horrible. This method of fighting
is not humane-it is hardly civilized, but there is no such thing as
humanity in civilized warfare."
Representative Cajeb Powers, of Kentucky: “This country is
‘not the insurer of either the lives or the Safety Of the Citizens.
especially aboard foreign vessels, who of their oivn volition subject
themselves to the dangers and Perils Of the ‘V3’ 10'?‘ fmd’ whlle
this country does and should de.6PlY d9Dl0l”e tllc Smkmg 05 tile
Liixitaizia, yet it should not be involved in war bl’ 1' 9350“ the‘'e0f-.
Governor Simeon E. Baldwin, of Connecticut, and professor in
the Yale Law School: “If I recollect correctly, the ‘dispatch of our
Government to Germany with reference to the P1‘ 9V'0“5 lflcldent Of
sinking a ship by a German submarine, as was sllPP05edv "1. th9.‘Y3l'
zone, referred to the matter as something occurring to a ship sailing
under American colors. The phrase ‘strict accountability’ used in
the dispatch did not, as I recollect it, refer to a foreign vessel sailg-‘H
ing under her true colors. The resP0“5ibmtY HOW Under ‘he W65‘
THE CARTOON OF THE VVEEK.
Composite Picture of Headlines Announcing German Victories.
Composite picture of headlines in hundreds of papers announcing:
The destruction of a Russian army in the hrst battle of Mazurian
Lakes; the slaughter of French in the first days of Battle of the
Aisne; a German gain of four miles along a thirteen-mile front;
the fearful slaughter of French in the winter assaults in the Cham-
pagne; the outraging of American citizens on the seas, in England
and in English colonies; the violation of American neutrality by
rlecruiting for England's army in America; and a thousand other
t ings.
This will also do for a composite picture of: Editorials of indig-
nation over England's breaches of the neutrality of Norway, Spain,
ill, the Suez Canal and America; over English prison-camps;
over the unspeakable and surpassing horrible brutalities of the "dear
ally,” Russia, in East Prussia and Galicia.
From "A Trip Through Headline Land,” by the author of ”A
Catechism of Balaam, Jr.”
The most humorous book on the war. Published by Tm: FATHER-
LAND-l0 cent: a copy.
ent circumstances of our declaring our policy, is somewhat different
in character.” '
Governor Brewer, of Mississippi, in a statement, May'l3, declared
that as Americans had been warned not to take passage on the
British ‘steamship Liiritoiiia he could not understand why the United
States should quarrel with Germany because Americans lost their
lives as a result of the torpedoing of the vessel.
“Americans were given fair warning to stay off,” he said. “The
passengers knew what to expect and took the risk.”
Prof. George TV. Kirchwey: “My advice to the President would
be: Don’t be too fond or too stiff about the rights of neutrals.
Don’t take an attitude from which you can't withdraw without war.
I would make the American people count until they get over this
bellicose feeling. There is no doubt that there is no right to sink
living persons on ships, but I think there is need of a new law for-
bidding neutrals from sailing on enemy ships carrying contraband.
The need of this is caused by the new emergencies and new con-
ditions found in present maritime warfare and the recklessness of
all the nations at war.”
Oswald O. Villard: “A war now would be singularly unre-
munerative, and about as agreeable as a conflict between an elephant
and an alligator. VVe would not get at them nor they at us. IVc
should be pulling England’: chertnuts out of the fire if -we were
fggtgiiltiijgops to Europe, which latter action could be justihed only
on the wild ground that all our civilization was in"danger."