Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-18
GERMANY FIRMLY
MAINTAINS POSITION
[Continued from First Page.l

shall carry no war supplies. Hope is
expressed that the American govern
ment will understand the position i'll
which Germany has been placed and
appreciate the reasons for its course
The reply closes with an expression
of the hope that the United States
may prevail upon Great Britain ito re-
turn to the principles of international
law recognized prior to the outbreak
of the war" and in particular obtain
the observance of the London decla-
ration by belligerents opposed to Ger
many. If this were done, the note eX-
plains, Germany would be enabled to
import food supplies and raw ma
terials. Germany would recognize in
this. says the reply, an invaluable
service toward a more humane con-
duct of the war and would act in ac-
cordance with the new situation thus
created.
The text of the German govern
ment's reply to the American note
follows:
THE imperial government has ex-
amined the communication from the
United States in the same spirit of
good will and friendship by which the
communication appears to have been
dictated. The imperial government is
in accord with the United States gov
ernment that for both parties it is in
II nigh uSSTGe ueSITdDlC u uNClu HIS
understandings which might arise
from measures announced by the Ger
man admiralty and to provide against
the occurrence of incidents which
might trouble the friendly. relations
which so far happily exist between
the two governments.
with regard to the assuring of
these friendly relations, the German
government believes that it may, all
the more. reckon on full understand
ing with the United States. as the
procedure announced by the German
admiralty, which was fully explained
in the note of the 4th instant is in no
way directed against legitimate COM
merce and legitimate shipping of neu-
trails, but represents solely a measure
of self-defense, imposed on Germany
by her vital interests. against Eng
lands method of warfare. which is
contrary to international law, and
which so far no protest by neutrals
has succeeded in bringing back to the
generally recognized principles of law
as existing before the outbreak of the
war.
Has Observed Rules
'In order to exclude all doubt re-
garding these cardinal points the Ger
man government once more begs leave
to state how things stand. Until now
Germany has scrupu1ously observed
valid International rules regarding ma
val warfare. At the very beginning of
the war Germany implored the Ameri-
can government to ratify the new nee
laration of London and took over it's
contents unaltered. and without for
NAL obligation. into her prize law.
The German government has
obeyed these rules, even when they
were diametrically opposed to her
militants. For instance, Germany al
lowed the transportation of provisions
into England from Denmark until to-
day, though she was well able, by her
sea forces, to prevent it, In contra
distinction to this attitude England
has not even hesitated at a second in
fringement of International law If by
such means she could paralyze the
peaceful commerce of Germany WITH
neutrals. The German government
will be the less obliged to enter into
details, as these are put down sufTi-
GENTLY though not eXhaustively. in
the American note to the British gov
ernment dated November 2S as a re-
suit of five months experience.
Work Is Admitted
IAN these encroachments have been
made as has been admitted in order
to cut off all supplies from Germany
and thereby starve her peaceful civil
population, a procedure contrary to all
humanitarian principles. Neutrals
have been unable to prevent the inter-
ruption Of their commerce with Ger
many, which is contrary to inter.
national laws.
"The American government, as Ger
many readily acknowledges, has pro-
tested against the British procedure.
In spite of these protests and protests
from other neutral states Great Brit
ain nnitld not hn i16tIanI To -
from the course of action she had de-
cided upon.
""The German Government feels itself
obliged to point out with the greatest
mated at many hundreds of millions. is
being carried on between American
firms and dermany's enemies.
''If it is a formal right of neutrals to
take no steps to protect their~legiti-
mate trade with Germany, and even to
allow themselves to be influenced in
the direction of the conscious and will
full restriction Of their trade, on the
other hand, they have the perfect right.
which they unfortunately do not eXer-
else, to cease contraband trade. especi-
ally in arms, with Germanys enemies.
Tn view of this situation Germany.
after six months of patient waiting,
sees herself obliged to answer Great
Britain's murderous method of naval
warfare with sharp counter measures.
"The German Government is resolv-
ed to suppress with all the means at
its disposal the Importation of war ma
terial to Great Britain and her allies,
and she takes it for granted that neu-
trail Governments, which so far have
taken no steps against the traffic in
arms with Germanys enemies, will not
oppose forcible suppression by Ger
many of this trade.
Acting from this point of view. the
German Admiralty proclaimed a naval
war zone whose limits it exactly de-
fined.
Germany is ready, finally, to delib-
crate with the United States concern
ing any measures which might secure
the safety of legitimate shipping of
neutrals in the war zone. Germany
cannot, however. forbear to point out
that all it's efforts in this direction may
be rendered very difficult by two cir
cumstances; first. the misuse of neutral
flags by British merchant vessels,
which is known to the United States;
second. the contraband trade already
mentioned. especially in war materials,
on neutral vessels.
'In order to prevent the conse-
quences of onfusion-though naturally
not so far as mines are concerned =
Germany recommends that the United
States make their ships which are con-
veying peaceful cargoes through the
British war zone discernible by means
of conVoys.