Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1915-07-14
GERMANY MAKES REPLY ToU. s.
Offers Several Propositions About
Shipping-NO Pay for Lusftania.

Delilh, July 9.-Germany s Ofer,
embodied in the reply to the Amerl-
can note regarding the sinking of
the Lusitania and submarine war
rare, which was delivered to Ameri-
can Ambassador Gerard last night
is:
First: Reiterated assurance that
American ships engaged in legitimate
trade will not be interfered with nor
the lives Of Americans on neutral
ships be endangered.
Second: That German submarines
will be instructed to allow American
ships to pass freely and safely, Ger
many entertaining i'll return the con-
tident hope that the American gov
ernment will see that these ships do
not carry contraband; such ships to
be provided with distinguishing
marks and their arrival announced
reasonable time in advance.
The same privilege is extended to
reasonable number of neutral pas
Senger ships under the American
flag, and should the number Of ships
thus available for passenger service
prove inadequate, Germany is will
ing to permit America to place four
hostile passenger steamers under the
American flag to ply between North
America and Europe under the same
conditions.
Text of Note from Germany.
The text Of the note follows:
Berlin, July 8.
The undersigned has the honor to
make the following reply to his en-
cellency, Ambassador Gerard, to the
note Of the 10th ultimO, re the i'm
pairment 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 government is quite willing
TO permit its statements and decis-
ions in the present case to be gov
erned by the principles of humanity,
just as it has done always.
Ancient Ties Recalled.
The imperial government wclcom-
ed with gratitude when the Ameri-
can government, in the note of May
Is, itself recalled that Germany al
ways had permitted itself to be gov
erned by the principles Of progress
and humanity in dealing with the
law OF maritime war. Since the time
when Frederick the Great negotiated
with John Adams, Benjamin Frank
lin and Thomas jefferson the treaty
of friendship and commerce Of Sep
tember 9, 1855, between Prussia and
the Republic Of the West, German
and American statesmen have, in
fact, always stood together in the
struggle for the freedom of the seas
and FOR +hc N~otoctiOn Of DanCclble
'iauo. DO an, iUt.r-nati .Ha' ..p-
ce"dirr, "hE.u nee ,"Fu a,.. .nu
d1ei. & ."r . TCsGNl.ut. .. es ',...
OF na""t'g war, .ro"UDp. a.I
&m'I. .H." 5o.H.y ~GEnrH,oC lUu.
Si~aa.,o principles, especially the
abolishment Of the right Of capture
at sea and the protection of the i'll
terests OF neutrals.
For Freedom of the Seas.
Even at the beginning of the pres
ent war the German governm INT i'm
mediately declared its willingness, in
response to proposals Of the Amer
lean government, to ratify the Dec
laratiOn Of London and thereby sub
ject itself in the use of it's naval
forces to all the restrictions pro-
Vided therein in favor of neutralS.
Germany likewise has been always
tenacious of the principle that war
should be conducted against the
armed and organized forces of an
enemy country, but that the enemy
civilian population must be spared
as far as possible from the meas
ures OF war The imperial govern
ment cherishes the definite hope that
some way will be found when peace
is concluded, or perhaps earlier, to
regulate the law of maritime war
in a manner guaranteeing the free
dom OF the seas, and will welcome it
with gratitude and satisfaction if it
can work hand in hand with the
American government on that occa-
sion.
If in the present war the princi-
pies which should be the ideal of the
future have been traversed more and
more, the longer its duration. The
German government has no guilt
therein. 1t is known to the Ameri-
can government how Germany'S ad-
vnrsarieS, by completely paralyzing
pC1ceable traffic between Germany
ant neutral countries, have aimed
from the very beginning and with in
creaung lack Of consideration at the
destl uction, not so much of the
a. ilIN IoiScS dS the lie Ol the Ter
man nation, repudiating, in doing SC, ,
all tn" rules OF International law and
disreglrding all rights Of neutrals
Britain Blamed by Germany.
On November 3, 1914, England de-
clared the North Sea war area and
by planting poorly anchored mines
and by stoppage and capture Of ves-
sells, made passage extremely danger
Il III 4