The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-05-11
Text of Presidents
i Note To Ambassador

EIcellency: | have given thought
full consideration to your excellency 5
note of the 4th of April, 1915, inclosing
aqmemOrandHm of the same date, in
which your excellency discusses the ac-
ton of this government with regard to
trade between the United States and
Germany and the attitude of this gov
eminent with regard to the expectation
or arms from the United States to the
nations now at war with Germany.
~ must admit that | am somewhat
at loss to interpret your excellency's
treatment of these matters. There are
many circumstances connected with
these important subjects to which /
would have expected your excellency to
advert, but of which YOU make no men.
tion,i and thore are other circumstances
to which you do refer which | would
have supposed to be hardly appfoprat>
for discussion between the government
of the United States and the govern
ment of Germany.
Discussion Not Permissible
~ shall take the liberty, therefore,
!Of regarding your eXcellenry s refer
enccs to the course pursued by the gov
rard to interference with trade from
this country such as the government of
Great Britain has attempted as intend
cd merely to illustrate more fully the
situation to which you desire to call
our attention and not as an invitation
to discuss that course. Your excel
lency 5 long experience in international
"tfairs will have suggested to you that
these relations of the two governments
with one another cannot wisely be made
subject of discussion with third
government which cannot lie fully in,
formed as to be facts and which cannot
he. fully cOgnizaht of the reasons for
the course pursued. y believe, how
ever, that | am justified in assuming
that what you desire to call forth is a
frank statement of the position of this
government in regard to it's obligations
rs neutral power.
Good Faith Of Government
"The general attitude and course Of
pOlicy of this government in the main
tenance of its Neutrality | am particu-
larry anxious that your excellancy
should see in their true light. / had
Hoped that this governments position
in these respects had been made abund-
antly clear, but | am of course perfect
ly willing to state it again. This seems
to me the more necessary and desira bic
because | regret to say the language
which your excellency employs in your
memorandum is susceptible of being
construed as impugning the good faith
of the United States in the perform
ance of it's duties as a neutral. | take
it for granted that no such implication
was intended but it is so evident that
YOUR exeellency is laboring under GER
tain false Impressions that ! cannot be
too explicit in setting forth the facts
Rs they are when fully reviewed and
eomprehended.
Has at No Time Yielded It's Rights
"Iu the first place, this government
las at no time and in no matter
yielded any one of its rights as neu-
trial to any one of the present belhger.
"nts. 1t has acknowledged as matter
of course the right of visit and search
End the RI hit to apply the rules Of con,
traband of war to articles of commerce.
1t has, indeed, insisted upon the use Of
visit and search as an absolutely neccs,
farV SAFEGUARD against mistaking neu,
trail vessels for vessels owned by an