Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-03-18

"The undersigned has the honor TO
! inform his cXcelloncy, MI james W,
! Gerard, ambassador Of the United
states of America la reply 10 the
note OF the 22nd ultimo that the I'M
| perial German government have taken
note with great interest of the sug-
! gostion of tho American government
! that certain principles for the CON
| duct of the maritime war on the
part of Germany and England be
agreed upon for the protection OF
neutral shipping They see therein
new evidence Of friendly feeling of
the American government toward the
German government which are fully
reciproCated 10y Germany.
Spirit Is Friendly.
1T is in accordance with Germany 8
| wishes also to have maritime war con-
Quoted according to rules which
without discriminately restricting one
or the other of the belligerent powers
| I'm the use OF the means Of warfare
are equally consderate of the inter
| ests of neutrals and the dictates of
| humanity. Consequently il was In
timated in the German note OF the
10th ultimo that observation of the
declaration OF London on the part of
| Germany's adversaries would create a
new situation, from which the Ger
| man government would gladly draw
the proper conclusions.
Proceeding from this view, the
German government have carefully
examined the suggestion Of the Amer
lean government and believe that they
can actually see in it suitable basis
| for the practical solution Of the Ques-
tions which have arisen.
with regard 10 the various points
Of the American note, they beg TO
make the following remarks:
"l. with regard to the sowing of
mines the German government would
be willing to agree as suggested not
| to use floating mines and to have
anchored mines constructed as indl-
Gated Moreover they agree to put
the stamp of the government on all
mines to be planted. on the other,
hand, it does not appear to them to be
feasible for the belligereuts wholly to
forcgo the use Of anchored mines for
offensive purposes.
stop Use OF Submarines.
"2. The German government would
undertake not TO use their submarines
to attack mercantile al any flag sX-
cept when necessary ~ enforce the
right of visit and search. should the
enemy nationality of the vessel OY
the presence Of COutVAbAud GG aSceT-
tanned submarine would proceed In
| accordance with lhc general rules
| Of international law.
"2 As provided N the American
note, this restriction ~ the uSe Of
the submarines IN contingent on Ghe
fact that enemy mercantile abstain
from Hhe use Og the neutral flag and
| other neutral distinctive marks. IL
| would appear ~ he - matter az course
| that such mercantile" also abstain
from aVning themselves and from all
! resistance by force, since such pro
cedurc contrary HO international law
| would render impossible any action
OF The submarines ia accordance with
! international law.
-. The regulation OS legitimate TIM
4 portatiOns OF food into Germany Sug-
Gested by the American government
! appears 10 be in general acceptable.
| such regulation would OY course be
confined 10 impOrtatiONs by sea, but
that would, OD the other hand, in
| Clude Indirect llupOrtations by way
of neutral ports. The German gov
ernment would therefore be willing
to make the declarations of the ma
ture provided i'm the American note
so that the use Of imported food and
! foodstuffs solely 10y The non-Combat-
ant population would be- guaranteed.
The imperial government must. how
! ever, i'm addition having the
| importation of other raw material
used by the economic system OF nom
combatants including forage per
mitted. To that end the enemy gov
| ernmcntS would have 10 permit the
free entry into Germany of the Saw
material mentioned i'm the free list OF
the declaration of London and 10 treat
materials included in the list of con-
dtional cOntrahand according to the
same principles as fOodstuffs.
Hope for Agreement.
The German government ventures
| to hope that the agreement for which
| the American government have paved
| the way may be reached after due
| consideration Of the remarks made
| above and that in this way peaceable
neutral shipping ana trade Will not
| have to suffer any more than H. abs0-
| lutely necessary from the unavoidable
| effects of maritime warfare The eff
| fects could be still further reduced
If, as was pointed out i'm the German
note of the 10th ult, some way could
be found to exclude the shipping Of
munitions of war from neutral coun-
tries to belligerents on ships OF any
nationality.
THE German government must, OF
course, reserve definite statement of
| their position until such time as they
may receive further information from
the American government. enabling
them to see what obligations the Brit
ish government are on their part will
ing TO assume.
The undersigned ayails himself of
this occasion, etc iSigucdl
! "Son JlgOW"
Dated Foreign office, Berlin, Feb
ruary 2S. 1915.
Gerard. ,ND-AppaFent omission
Great Britain'S Reply.
The reply Of Great Hrtair handed
/ to the American ambassador ~ Lon
! don was as follows:
London. March 10. 1918.
Following is the text Of "a mem
orandum dated March ~. which Grey
! handed me today:
"'On the 22nd of February last 7
received a communication from your
eXcellcncy Of the Identical note ad-
| dressed to his majesty's government
and To Germany. respecting an agree
ment on certain points as 10 the con-
| duct Of the war at sea. The reply of
| the German government TO this note
! has been published and IL is not un-
! NO DOUBT THAT