WHO ARE THE HUNS?

The "Submarine Blockade." 343
of compensation on the part of the state effecting the capture.
If damage ensues the damaged nation or person must apply
to that state which by its illegal actions, in especial by its misuse
of neutral flags, has been really responsible for the damage.
This point of view is essentially more correct in that,
according to the English press, it must be infallibly assumed
that English merchant-ships (sailing under neutral flags!) are
armed with artillery, that they have been instructed to ram
submarines, to hurl bombs at them, to voyage in groups, and to
do all within their power to destroy submarines. Thus, English
merchant ships can, in principle, no longer be regarded as undefended.
(See the special warning issued to Holland by the
German Government, and delivered to the Rotterdam Chamber
of Commerce on February 16, 1915.)
But a "defended" merchant vessel is no longer a merchantvessel.
It must be recognized as a warship or more correctly
still, as a pirate ship. 1
III.
Another English principle in this war, as established in
the "Times" of November 12th, is the following: "All international
law is valid only in so far as it is backed up by force."
1 According to a dispatch to the "Central News," the "Shipping Gazette"
offers a reward of £ 500 for the crew of the merchant vessel which first succeeds
in sinking a German submarine.
As early as February 2nd the "Times" had advised merchant vessels to
do battle with submarines instead of obeying their injunctions to stop. Rewards
in money were also offered by French societies. And action was taken along
the lines of this piratical procedure. It may be recalled that no details were
given as to the sinking of the "U 29," the submarine commanded by the heroic
young Captain, Otto Weddigen. It was affirmed, however, that his vessel
had been sunk by an act of treachery by an English merchant vessel or trawler
disguised under a neutral flag. The truth will yet out.
1 The "Times" comments on this order as follows: "The purpose of
this announcement is to close the greater part of the northern channel and to
limit traffic to the day-time, in order to facilitate the examination of the
ships which enter the Irish Sea from the west and at the same time to make
things difficult for the enemy ships operating in this region. Through this
measure the larger part of the traffic will very likely be diverted by the route
around the south of Ireland. It may be assumed that there are mines and
other dangers in the forbidden districts which render the passage of vessels
dangerous."