New Britain herald., 1915-02-18
Germany Zssues Reply
 70 American N0te 0n
 VapaI War Zone Decree
COuches Statement in M0sf Friendly Terms for United States---Measu1e
 Is Necessary for SeV-detense.

l details, as these are put down Suftl- l ciently, though not eNha ustively, in the American not to the British gov ernment dated December 29, as a re- suit of five months experience.
 To Cut Off Supplies.
 1 "All these encroachments have 1 been made. as has been admitted, in order to cut off all supplies from Germany and thereby starve her l peaceful civil population-a proced- | ure contrary to all Humanitarian prin- ciples. Neutrals have been unable to prevent the interruption of their com l merce with Germany, which is con- trary to international laws.
 'The American government, as Germany readily acknowledges, has protested against the British pro cedure. In spite of these protests and protests from other neutral states, Great Britain could not be induced to depart from the course of her action she had decided upon. Thus, for in- stance, the American ship Wilhel- nina recently was stopped by the British although her cargo was des- tined solely for the German civil pop ulation and, according to the express
  ment, was to be employed only for this purpose.
 Germany Cut Off.
 Germany is as good as cut off from her overseas supply by the silent or protesting tOleration of neutrals, not only in regard to such goods as are absolute contraband but also in regard to such, regarding to acknowledged law before the war, are only conditional contraband or not Contraband at all. Great Britain, on the other hand, is with the federation of neutral governments not only sup piled with such goods as are not con- traband or only conditional contra band but with goods which are re- garded by Great Britain, if sent to Germany, as absolute contraband; namely, provisions, industrial raw ma terials, etc, and even with goods which have always indOubtably been regarded as absolute cortraband.
 The German government feels it. self obliged to point out With the greatest emphasis that a traffic in arms, estimated at many Hundreds of millions, is being carried on between American firms and Germanys enemies. Germany fully compre- hends that the practice of right and the federation of wrong on the part of neutrals are matters absolutely at the discretions of neutrals, and ln- volve no formal violation of neutral ity. Germany, therefore, did not com- plain of any formal violation of neutrality, but the German gov ernment, in view of complete N0nl lJN pointing out that it, together with the entire public opinion of Germany feels itself to be severely prejudiced by the fact that neutrals, in safe guarding, their rights in legitimate commerce with Germany according to international law, have. up to tho present, achieved no, or only insignifi- cant results. while they are making unlimited use of their right by carry ing on contra band traffic with Great Britain and our enemies
 Formal Right of Neutrals.
 If it is a formal right of neutrals to take no steps to protect their legi- timate trade With Germany, and even to allow themselves to be influenced il the direction of the conscious and wilful restriction of their trade, on the other hand they have the perfect right, which they unfortunately do not exercise, to cease contraband trade, especially in arms, with Ger manys enemies.
 Tn view of this situation, Germany. after six months of patient waiting, sees herself obliged to answer Great Britain's murderous method of naval warfare with sharp counter measures. pyjfa in, feh ,,Cti Germany summons hunger as an ally, for the purpose of imposing upon a civilized people of seventy millions the Cl oice between Restitution and starva- ton or submission to Great Britain's commercial will, then Germany today is determined to take up the gauntlet and appeal to similar allies
 Hopes Neutrals Will Act.
 "Germany trusts that the neutrals who so far have submitted to the dis advantageous consequences of Great Britain's hunger war in silence, or merely in registering a protest will display towards Germany no smaller measure of toleration, even if German measures, like those of Great Britain, present new terrors of naval warfare
 Moreover, the German government is resolved to suppress with all the means at it's disposal the importation cf war material to Great Britain and ter allies, and she takes it for granted that neutral governments, which so far have taken no steps against the traffic in arms with Germany's enemies, will not oppose forcible SUD- pressiOn by Germany of this trade.
 Naval War Zone.
 Acting from this point of view, the German admiralty proclaimed a naval war zone wl1ose limits it exact ly defined Germany, so far as pos