The Washington herald., 1915-04-22
Rebuke and Defense In
u. S. Note to Germany

The text Of the State Department.
reply to the Bernstorff note follows
l. have given thoughtful considera.
| ZION TO your excellency's note of the
4th OF April. 1915. inclosing a mem.
orandum of the same date, in which
your exceIlency DISCUSSES this action
OF inns government with regard tc
trade between the United States and
Germany, and the attitude Of this
government with regard to the ex-
portation Of arms from the United
States to the nations now at war with
Germany.
II must admit that L am somewhat
ut loss how to interpret your ex-
cellency's treatment Of these matters.
There are many circumstances con-
nected with these important subjects
to which / would have expected your
excellency to advert. but Of which you
make no mention. and there are other
circumstances to which you do refer
which i would have supposed 10 he
hardly appropriate for discussion be-
tween the governuent OF the United
States and the government Of Ger
many.
Note Subject for Discussion.
Il shall take the liberty, therefore,
of regarding your eNcellencys refer
ences to the course pursued by the gov
eminent of the United States with re-
gard to interferences with trade from
this country such as the government of
Great Britain have attempted. as in
tended merely to illustrate more fully
the situation to which you desire to
call our attention, and not as an invi-
tation to discuss that course. Your
eScellency's long experience in inter-
national affairs will haves suggested to
you that the relations Of the two gov
ernments with one another cannot
wisely be made a subject Of discussion
with a third government, which car
not be fully informed as to the facts.
and which cannot be fully cognizant
of the reasons for the course pursued.
I believe, however. that l am Justified
in assuming that what you desire to
call forth In q frank Abatement of the
position Of this government in regard
to its obligations as = neutral power.
The general attitude and course of
policy of this government in the main
tenance of its neutrality ! am particu
larly anxious that your excellency
should see in their true light. l had
hoped that this governments position in
these respects had been made absolutely
clear, but ] am, of course, perfectly will
ing to state 1t again. This seems TO
me the more necessary and desirable
because ! regret to say the language
which your excellency employs In your
Is susceptible Of being
construed rs impuEninE the good faith
of the United States In the PERFORM
ance Of its duties a neutral. ! take
it for granted that no such implication
was intended, but it is so evident that
your excellency is laboring under GER
tain false impressions that / cannot be
too explicit in setting forth the facts
as they are. when fully reviewed and
Relinquishes No Rights.
I'm the first place. this government has
al no time and in no manner yielded any
one Of its rights as neutral to any one
If the present belliGerents. 1t has ac-
as a matter Of course the
tight of visit and search and the right to
apply the rules of contraband of war to
articles OF commerce. 1t has, indeed. in
sisted upon the Use of visit and search
Is an absolutely necessary safeguard
against installing neutral vessels for
,essels owned by an enemy and against
legal cargoes for illegal. It
las admitted also the right of blockade
{ actually exercised and effectively |
These are merely the we'll !
lnown limitations which war places upon
Neutral commerce on the high seas. But
nothing beyond these has it conceded. !