The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-07-15
TEXT OF GERMAN NOTE
This Note Is Friendly But Does Not
Meet Requirements Called Fer.
All to Stand By President.

All to Stand BY PRESIDENT.
Berlin, July 8, 9 p. m, (via Lon
don, July. 10, 2:37 a. m.)-Ger-
many's offer, embodied in the reply
to the United States note regarding
the sinking of the Lusitania, and sub
marine warfare, which was delivered
to James w. Gerard, the American
ambassador last night is:
First, reiterated assurance that
American ships engaged in legiti-
mate trade will not be interferred
with nor the lives of Americans up
on neutral ships be endangered.
Second, that German submarines
will be instructed to allow Ameri-
can passengers ship to pass freely
and safely, Germany entertaining in
return the confident hope that the
American government will see that
these ships do not carry contaband;
such ships to be provided with dis
tinguishing marks and their arrival
announced a reasonable time in ad-
vance. The same privilege is ex-
tended to a reasonable number of
neutral passenger ships under the
American flag and should the num-
Der of ships thus available for pas
senger service prove inadequate,
Germany is willing to permit Am
erica to place four hostile passenger
steamers under the American flag to
ply between North America and
Europe under the same conditions.
The text of the German note fol-
lows:
~"Berlin, July s.
"The undersigned has the honor
to make the following reply to His
Excellency, Ambassador Gerard to
the note OF the 10th ultimo 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 APP
peal finds ready echo in Germany
and the Imperial Government is
quite willing to permit its state
ments and decisions in the present
case to be governed by the principles
Of humanity just as it has done al
ways.
coined with gratitude when the AM
erican government in the note of
May Is, itself recalled that Germany
had always permitted itself to be
governed by the principles of pro-
gress and humanity in dealing with
the law of maritime war. Since the
time when Frederick the Great nego-
tiated with John Adams, Benjamin
1~1s ToSf a
treaty of friendship and commerce
of September 9, 1885, between
Prussia and the Republic of the
west, German and American states
men, have in fact, always stood to-
gether in the struggle for the free
dom Of the seas and for the pro-
lection of peaceable trade. In the
international proceedings, which
since have been conducted for the
regulation of the laws of maritime
war, Germany and America have
jointly advocated progressive prin-
ciples especially the adjustment of
the right of capture at sea and the
protection Of the interests of neu-
trails.
Even at the beginning of the
present war the German government
Immediately declared it's willingness,
in response to proposals of the Am
erican government, to ratlfy the
declaration of London and thereby
subject itself in the use of it's naval
forces to all the restrictions provid-
ed 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, civilian population must be
spared as far as possible from the
measures of war. The imperial gov
eminent cherishes the definite hope
that some way will be found when
peace is concluded, or perhaps
earlier, to regulate the law of mari
i time war in manner guaranteeing
the freedom Of the seas, and will
welcome it with gratitude and salts
faction if it can work hand in hand
with the American government on
that OCCASION.
eff in the present war the princi-
pies which should be the ideal of the
future have been traversed more and
more, the longer it's duration, the
German government has no guilt
therein. 1t is known to the Ameri-
can government how Germany's ad-
versaries, by completely paralyzing
peaceable traffic between Germany
and neutral countries, have aimed
from the very beginning and with in
creasing lack of consideration, at
the destruction, not so much of the
armed forces as the life of the Ger
man nation, repudiating in doing so
all the rules of international law
and disregarding all the rights of
neutrials.
con November 8, 1914, England
declared the North Sea a war area
and by planting poorly anchored
mines and by the stoppage and cap
ture of vessels made passage ex-
tremely dangerous and difficult for
neutral shipping, so (byO that ac-
tually blockading 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
Thus Germany was driven to subma-
a.