The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-07-23
SOURKRAUT GOVERN
MENT WARNED
BY WILSON
Not to Further Transgress
American Rights to Free
dom of Seas.

President Wilson completed the fl
nal note to Germany on Wednesday
night and the same was dispatched to
the Imperial German government
yesterday.
"The note" says a Washington dis
patch, "is in the nature of final
statement by the United States Of
the Interpretation that will be placed
by this government on future trans
gressions of American rights, and re-
peats that the American government
will leave nothing undone to stand by
the position 1T has previously de
clared.
Points in New Note.
Among the points in the new note
are:
THE assumption by the United
States that Germany, bv declaring her
submarine warfare to be retaliatory
measure against the alleged unlawful
acts of her enemies, has admitted that
the destruction of unresisting mer-
chantmen without warning is illegal.
2-German submarine commanders
already have proven that they can
save the passengers and crews of
vessels and can act in conformity with
the laws ofhumanity in making war
On enemy ships.
3.-The United States cannot allow
the relations between the beligerents
tt operate in any way as an abbrevla-
ton of the rights of neutrale and
therefore any violation of the prin-
ciples for which the American govern
ment contends, resulting in a loss Of
American lives, will be viewed as
"unfriendly."
4-The representations which the
American government has made In
previous notes for disavowal OF the
intention to sink the Lusitania with
Americans aboard and the request for
reparation are reiterated with renew
ed insistence.
5--The American government re-
alizes the unusual and abnormal con-
ditions which the present conflict has
created in the conduct of maritime
war and is willing to act as an in
termediary as between the beligerents
to arrange a modus vivendi of any
other temporary arrangements which
dc not involve a surrender by the Uni
ted States of its rights.
6-The proposals made bv Germany
to give immunity to American ships
not CARRYING contraband, and to four
belligerent ships under the American
flag, are rejected with the emphatic
assertion that to accept such sugpes-
ton would be to admit Germans
right to set aside the American con-
tention based on fundamental pria-
ciples in international law-that neu-
trails may travel anywhere on the
high seas on unresisting ships OF any
even if carrying contra
band.
Discussion Concluded.
The note is about 1900 words long.
While nowhere in it is there any di-
rect intimation of the course which
the United States will pursue in the
event of another disaster similar to
the Lusitania tragedy, there are EN-
phatic statements throughout the
pointing out that the
discussion of the principles involved
has been virtually concluded and that
future conduct of German submarine
commanders will determine the re-
sponsibility sor the continuance of
friendly relations between the two
countries.
The statement that future trans
gression will be regarded as "un-
friendly" is taken in diplomatic usage
to presage a break in friendly rela-
tions unless reparation and diSavOWal
is Forthcoming. President Wilson it
is understood, has considered fully
the construction which NAV be placed
on the implication of the note and Is
to deal with any new situa-
ton that may arise. He is hopeful
and confident, however, it is said, that
Germany having ALREADY modified the
practice of her submarine comman-
ders, will now take such precautions
as seem necessary to prevent any ac-
ton that would endanger friendly re-
lations with the United States.