The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-18
forced uDOn her.

Since Germany must compel the na- tions with which she is at war to re- turn to the recognized principles of international law and restore the free dom of the seas, she argues that the stand she has taken is necessary.
 The note recommends that the Unit ed States government send warships to England to convoy merchant yes sels through the danger zone as se- c1rity against attacks with the under standing that vessels thus guarded shall carry no war supplies. Hope is expressed that the American govern ment will understand the position in ] which Germany has been placed and | appreciate the reasons for it's course. The reply closes with an expression 1 of the hope that the United States may prevail upon Great Britain ''bo 1 return to the principles of information 1 al law recognized prior to the out break of the war; and in particular obtain the observance of the London 1 declaration by belligerents offered to Germany. If this were done. the note explains, Germany would be enabled i tax IIslpors food supplies and raw na- teriR1sssgs Germany would recognize in l this, says the reply, an invaluable service toward a. more humane con- 1 duct of the war and would act in ac- 1 cordance with the new situation thus created.
 The text of the German govern ment's reply to the, American note is in part:
 | eThe imperial government has ex- amined the communication from the United States government 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 government that for both parties it is in a high. degree de- sirable to avoid misunderstanding which might arise from measures an I nounced by the German admiralty and to provide against the occurrence of incidents which might trouble the 1 friendly relations which so far hap oily exist between the two govern ments.
 with regard to the result of these friendly relations, the German gov ernment believes that it may all the more reckon on full understand ding with the United States as to the pro- cedure announced by the German ad- niraIty, which was fully explained in 1 the note of the 4th instant is in no way directed against the legitimate | commerce and legitimate shipping ot l neutra1s, but represents solely a meas ure of se1f-defense imposed on Ger many by her vital interests against EngIand's method of warfare which is | contrary to international law and
  1 has succeeded in bringing back to the generally recognized principles of law as expressed before the outbreak of | the war.
 ''The American government. al l Germany readily acknowledges, hal l protested against the British pro cedure In spite of these protests and protests from the other neutra l states, Great Britain could not bs induced to depart from the cours' of her action she had decided upon Thus, for instance, the American shiI WI1he1nina. recently was stopped b! the British although her cargo wa! destined solely for the German cfvi l population, according to the express declaration of the German govern ment, was to be employed only fo! this purpose.
 her overseas supply by the silent o, protesting toleration of neutrals, no only in regard to such goods ar, absolute contrajband but also in re gard to such according to acknowl edged law before the war, are onl, conditional contraband or not con traband at all. Great Britain. on tn other hand, Is with the tolerance O i neutral governments not only sup piled with such goods as are not con traband or only conditional contra band, but with goods which are re
 
 Germany as absolute contraband namely, provisions, industrial rav materials, etc, and even goods whicl have always indubitably been re garded as absolute contraba
 1.-The German government feels itsel EobIiged to point out with the greates emphasis that a traffic in arms, esti mated at many hundreds of millions is being carried on between American firms and Gernany's enemies.
 s.In view of this situation, Germany after six months of patient waiting sees herself obliged to answer Grea Rritain's murderous method of maya warfare with sharp counter measures
 s.Germany trusts t1A- t the neutral who so far have submitted to the dis
 advantageous consequences of Grea 2 Britain's hunger war in silence c 2 merely in registering a protest, wi
 display towards Germany no smalle