Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-06-18

eminent is justified in r~esigning on be-
half of those under it's care and author
ity. Only her actual resistance to
capture or refusal to stop when order
ed to do so for the purpose of visit
could have afforded the commander
of the submarine any justification for
so much as putting the lives of those
on board the ship in jeopardy. This
principle the government of the n
ted States understands the explicit
instructions issued on August 3, 1914,
by the Imperial German admiralty to
its commanders at sea to have recog-
nized and embodied, as do the naval
codes of all other nations, and upon it
every traveller and seaman had a right
to depend. 1t is upon this principle Of
humanity as well as upon the law
founded upon this principle that the
United States must stand.
The government of the United
States is happy to observe that your
e~xcellency's note closes with the init
nation that the Imperial German gov
eminent is willing, o al before, to
accept the good offices of the United
States in an attempt to come to an un-
Outstanding with the government Of
OICdI DlAIdln, ny WL1CA InC CLdl -
and conditions of the war upon the
sea may be changed. The government
of the United States would consider it
a privilege thus to serve it's friends
and the world. 1t stands ready at any
time to convey to either government
any intimation or suggestion. the other
may be willing to have it convey and
cordially invites the Imperial German
~ y, ant 20 be afYco ~ ifc cnru.
ices in this way at its convenience.
The whole world is concerned in any
thing that may bring about even a
partial accommodation of interests or
in any way mitigate the terrors of
the present distressing conflict.
I'm the meantime, whatever arrange
ment may happily be made between
the parties to the war, and whatever
may in the opinion of the Imperial
German government have been the
pr~ovocation or the circumstantial JUS
tifcation for the past acts of its COM
manders at sea, the government of the
-nited States confidently looks to see
the justice and humanity of the gov
eminent of Germany indicated in all
cases where Americans have been
wronged or their rights as neutrals in
vaded.
THE government of the United
States therefore very earnestly and
very solemnly renews the representa-
tons of its note transmitted to the I'M
perial German government on the if
teenth of May and relies in these rep
reservations upon the principles of hui
mainly, the universally recognized I'M
derstandings of international Jaw, and
the ancient friendship of re German
nation.
THE government of the United
States cannot adpt that the procla-
nation of a WEI zone from Ghich
neutral ships have been warned to
keep away may be made to operate as
in any degree an abbreviation Of the
rights either of American shipmasters
or of American citizens bound on law
full errands as passengers on merch-
ant ships of ~belligerent nationality. 1t
does not understand the Imperial Ger.
man government to question those
rights. 1t understands it also, to &C
cept as established beyond question
the principle that the lives of non-com'
batants cannot lawfully or rightfully
be put in jeopardy by the capture OF
destruction of an unresisting merchant
man. and to recognize the obligation
to take sufficient %precaution to ascer
tain whether a suspected merchant
man is in fact of belligerent national
ity or is in fact carrying contraband
of war under a neutral flag. The gov
eminent of the United States there
fore deems it reasonable to expect thai
the Imperial German government will
adopt the measures necessary to pu'
these principles into practice in re
spect of the safeguarding of Americas
lives and American ships and asks fo1
assurances that this will be done.
ROBERT LANSING,
/ Secretary of State ad Interim"