The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-10

Berlin, July &-The under signed has the honor to make the following reply to tFIis ExceIlency Ambassador Gerard. to the note of the tenth ulttmo tre the impair ' ment of American interests by the German submarine war. The Imperial government learned with satisfaction from the note how earnestly the government of the United States is concerned in seeing the principles of humanity realized in the present war. Also this appeal finds ready echo in Germany and the Imperial gov ernments is quite willing to per- init its stateTnents and decisions in theA present case to be govt erned by the principles of hu- 1nanfty, just as 1t has done al- ways.
 sThe Imperial government welcomed with gratitude when the American government in the note of May 15 itself recalled that Germany has always per rn4ted itself to De governed by the principles Of progress and hurnhuity in dealing with the law of maritime war. Since the time whenFr ederick the Great nego- tfated with John Adams, Benja- min Franklin and Thomas yeffer- son the treaty of friendship and between Prussia and the repub- lie of the west, German and American statesmen have, in fact, alwayssstood together in the struggle for the freedom of. the seas and for the protection of peacaable trade. In the interna- tionaT pr0ceedings which since have been conducted for the reg ulatfoni of the laws of maritime war, Germany and America have Jointly advocated progressive principles especially the abolish ment Of the right of capture at teresEs of neutFaas.
 Even at the beginning of the present war the German govern nent fnn1nediate1y declared it's willingness, in response to pro- nosa1s of the American govern 1r1e1t, to r-atify the Declaration Of London and thereby subject itself in the uses of its naval forces to all the restrictions provided therein in favor of neutraIs. Germany ysnkewfsefhas been always tenacious of the principles that; war should be conducted against
 
 an enemy country but that the enemy civilian spopulation must be spared as far as possible from the measures or war. The Imperial governn1ent cR Der ishes the definite. hope that some way will be found when peace is concluded, or per haps earlier, to regulate the law of maritime war in a manner g7laran6eefng the freedom of the s E fy gratitude and satisfaction if 1t can work hand in hand with the American gover ment on that oc- casion.
 If in the present war the prin-s ciples which should be the ideal of the future, have been tray ers- ed more and more, the longer it's duration, the German govern ment has no guilt therein It is known to the American govern ment how GeTmany's adver saries by completely paralyzi1ag peace able traffic between Germany and neutral countries, have aimed from the very beginning and with increasing lack of consideration at the destruction, not. so much of the armed forces: as che life of the German nation, repudfak- ing in doing so. all the rules of international law and disregard ing all rights of neutrals
 .tOn November 3. 1914 Eng land declared the North Sea a,f war area and by planting poorly anchored mines and by the stop page and capture and capture Of vessels, made passage, extremely dangerous ana difficult for neu- traI shipping, so (bY?1 that actually b1ockadfng neutral coasts and ports contrary to all international law. Long before the beginning of submarine war
 England practically completely intercepted legitimate. neutral navigation to Germany also.