Mr. Asquith then read a statement regarding German submarine Piracy. He said:—The laws and customs of nations regarding attacks on commerce have always presumed that the first duty of the captor of a merchantman is to bring it before Prize Courts where it may be tried, where the regularities of its capture may be challenged and where neutrals may recover their pargo. The sinking of prizes is in itself a questionable act to be resorted to only in extraordinary circumstances and after provision has been made for the safety of all crews and passengers.
"The responsibility for discriminating between neutral and enemy vessels and between neutral and enemy cargoes obviously rests with the attacking ship, whose duty it is to verify the status of a vessel and its cargo and to preserve all its papers before sinking or capturing a ship. So, also, 1s the humane duty to provide for the safety of the crews of merchant-
Manrc# 6, 1915. men, whether neutral or enemy, an obligation on every belligerent. It is upon this basis that all previous discussions on the laws regularing warfare have proceeded.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.