The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-07-13
WILLING TO PERMIT
STEAMERS TO PASS
GERMAN NOTE TO Q. S. PROPOSES
RESTRICTED MODUS
OPERANDI.
Would Be Confident That America Was
Not Allowing MunitiOn Ship
ments On Passenger Craft.

ments on Passenger Craft.
Berlin, July ": London, July 10.)
-Germany's offer, embodied in the re-
ply to the American note regarding
the sinking of the LIsitania and sub
marine warlare, which was delivered
10 American Ambassador Gerard last
night is:
First, reiterated assurances that
American ships engaged in legitimate
trade will not be interfered with nor
will the lives of Americans on neutral
ships be endangered.
Second, that German submarines will
be instructed to allow American pas
senger ships to pass freely and safely,
Germany entertaining in return the
confident hope that tie American gov
ernment will see that these ships do
not carry contraband, such ships to
be provided with distinguishing marks
and their arrival announced a reason
able time in advance The same priv
ilege is extended to a reasonable num-
Der of neutral passenger ships under
the American flag and szould the
number of ships thus available for ser
vice prove inadequate, Germany is will
ling to permit America to place four
hostile passenger steamers under the
American flag to ply between North
America and Europe under the came
conditions.
The text Of the note follows:
The Note.
Berlin, July 8.
"The undersigned I3as the honor to
make the following reply to his ex-
cellency, Ambassador Gerard, to the
note of the 1Osn ultimo re the i'm
pairment of American interests by the
German submarine war.
"The imperial government learned
with satisfaction from the note how
earnestly the government of tie Unit
ed States is concerned in seeing the
principles of humanity realized in the
present war. Also this appeal finds
ready echo in Germany and the i'm
perial government is quite willing to
permit its statements and decisions in
the present case to be governed by
the principles of humanity just as it
has done always.
''The imperial government welcom-
ed with gratitude wien the American
government in the note of May Is it
self recalled that Germany always had
permitted itself to be governed by
the principles of progress and nu-
manity in dealing with the law OF
maritime war. Since the time when
Frederick the Great negotiated with
John adams, Benjamin Franklin and
T3omas Jefferson the treaty Of friend
ship and commerce of September 8,
1885, between Prussia and the Rer'H-
lie of the West, German and American
statesmen nave, in fact, always stood
! together in the struggle for the free
dom of the seas and for the protection
of peaceable trade. In the interna-
tional proceedings which since have
been conducted for tie regulation Of
the laws of maritime war Germany
and America have jointly advocated
progressive principles, especially the
abolition of the right of capture at sea
and the protection of the interests Of
neutrals.
Gwen at the beginning Of the pres
ent war the German government i'm
mediately declared it's willingness, in
response to proposals of the Ameri-
can government, to ratify the decla-
ration of London and thereby subject
itself in tie use of it's naval forces
to all the restrictions provided there
in in favor of neutrals. Germany like
wise has been always tenacious of the
principle that war should be conducted
against the armed and organized
forces of an enemy country but that
the enemy civilian population must be
spared as far as possible from the
measures of war. The imperial gov
ernment cherishes TIE definite hope
that some way will be found, when
peace is concluded, or perhape earlier,