A history of the American nation . use of the submarine against enemy mer-chantmen. The waters surroundins; the British The ... submarine. Islands were declared to be a war zone, withm which enemy vessels were to be sunk without regard to the safety of crews or passengers, and neutrals were THE WORLD WAR 569 warned that the same fate might befall them.^ Germany thusprepared to carry out on the ocean her chosen principle offrightfulness, which, already exhibited in Belgium and north-ern France, had awakened the sympathy of the world for herenemies. Such a course was entirely contrary to the mos
A history of the American nation . use of the submarine against enemy mer-chantmen. The waters surroundins; the British The ... submarine. Islands were declared to be a war zone, withm which enemy vessels were to be sunk without regard to the safety of crews or passengers, and neutrals were THE WORLD WAR 569 warned that the same fate might befall them.^ Germany thusprepared to carry out on the ocean her chosen principle offrightfulness, which, already exhibited in Belgium and north-ern France, had awakened the sympathy of the world for herenemies. Such a course was entirely contrary to the most ele-mentary principles of international law. The ships of one bel-ligerent—one of the powers at war—can capture and send intoharbor the ships of another belligerent. Under some circum-stances, as, for example, if it is unseaworthy, the capturedvessel may be sunk, but even then the lives of the passengersand crews are to be saved. Neutral vessels may be searched forcontraband, and in case a blockade is established the vessel. A German Sea Raider. The Submarine U-14 itself can be seized if it is attempting to run the plan, however, contemplated nothing less than usingsubmarines to sink enemy merchantmen on sight, and if neutralships got sunk by mistake, they must take the consequences ofbeing where they were not wanted. Her excuse was necessity;Great Britain, she claimed, had set up an unlawful blockade ofher coast, and as a submarine could not follow the usual and ^ Even neutral ships are exposed to danger in the war zone, as in viewof the misuse of neutral flags ordered on January 31 by the BritishGovernment and of the accidents of naval warfare, it cannot always be avoid-ed to strike even neutral ships in attacks that are directed at enemy ships. 570 HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN NATION prescribed praciice, the thing to do was to use the new w-eaponruthlessly and let international law kx^k out for itseh. This w.\5the beginning of the barbarous method of sea w
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