The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-07-24
GERMAN NOTE
CONTINUED from page ~

chile. not upon expediency, and tho
principles are immutable. 1t is the
duty and obligation of belligerents to
find a way to adapt the new circum
stances to them.
The events of the past two months
have clearly indicated that it is pos
sible and practicable to conduct such
submarine operations as have charac-
terized the activity OF the imperial
German navy within the so-called
war zone in substantial accord with
the accepted practices of regulated
warfare. The whole world has look !
ed with interest and increasing salts |
faction at the demonstration Of that
possibility by German naval COM
manders. 1t is manifestly possible,
therefore, to lift the whole practice
of submarine attack above the critic
ism which it has aroused and remove
the chief causes of offense.
In view OF the admission of illegali-
ty made by the imperial government
when it pleaded the right of retalia-
ton in defense of its acts, and in
view of the manifest possibility OF
conforming to the established rules
of naval warfare, the government OF
the United States cannot believe that
the imperial government will longer
refrain from disayowing the wanton
act Of it's naval commander in sink
| ing the Lustania or from offering
| reiparation for the American lives
| lost, so far as PREPARATION can be made
| for a needless destruction of human
| life by an illegal act.
The government of the United
| States, while not Indifferent to the
/ friendly spirit in which it is made
cannot accept the suggestion of the
| imperial German government that
| certain vessels be designated and
/ agreed upon which shall be free ON
the seas now illegally prescribed.
| The very agreement would, by impli-
| cation, subject other vessels to illegal
| attack and would be a curtailment
and therefore an abandonment OF the
1 DIlHtiDlto III W Iitit liilo SONCl
/ contends and which in times of calm
er counsels every nation would con
cede as Of course.
| The government of the United
| States and the imperial German gov
eminent are contending for the same
great object have long stood togeth.
ed in urging the very principles, up.
on which the government of the Unit
ed States now so solemnly insists
They are both contending for the free
the United States viii continue te
contend for that freedom, from what
ever quarter violated without com
promise and at any cost 1t inyites
the practical cooperation OF the i'm
perial German government at Tiff
time when cooperation may accom-
plish most and this great common Cb
iect be most strikingly and effective
Z | ly achieved 0
The imperial German government
expresses the hope that this objec
: may be in some measure accomplish
I ed even before the present war ends
| 1t can he. The government of tn,
, United States not only feels obliges
to insist upon it, by whomsoever vic
lated or ignored, in the protection o
its own citizens, but is also deeply in
terested in seeing it made PRACTICABLE
between the belligerents themselves
and holds itself ready at any time {,
act as the common friend who ma,
be privileged to suggest a way.
In the meantime the very valu
! (which this government sets upon tn
| long and unbroken friendship be
tween the people and government o
the United States and the people ant
government of the German nation in
| pels it to press very soemnly upo,
the imperial German government tn
necessity for a scrupulous obser,
ance of neutral rights in this critica
matter.
: Friendship Itself prompts it to sa
to the imperial government tha2 rep,
tition by the commanders OF Germa
e naval vessels of acts in contravel
| ton of those rights must be regarde
by the government of the Unite
States, when they affect America
citizens, as deliberately unfriendly.
al Lansing.
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