The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-06-11
IANSWER TO GERMANY'S NOTE
Has No Right to Endanger Life Ships Unarmed,
Unwarned


ing less high and sacred than the rights
of humanity, which every government
honors itself in respecting, and which no |
government is justified in resigning on be-
half of those under its care and authority I
Only her actual resistance to capture, or |
refusal to stop when ordered to do so for |
the purpose of visit, could have afforded |
the commander of the submarine any JUS |
tification for so much as putting the lives
of those on board the ship in jeopardy |
This principle the government of the Unit
ed States understands the explicit instruc-
lions issued on Aug. 3, 1914, by the I'm
perial German admiralty to its command
ers at sea to have recognized and embod-
led, as do the naval codes of all other ma
tions, and upon it every traveller and sea
man had right to depend. 1t is upon
| this principle of humanity, as well as upon
the law founded upon this principle, that
the United States must stand
| The government of the United States is
happy to observe that your excellency's
note closes with the intimation that the
| Imperial German government is willing,
now as before, to accept the good offices
lof the United States in an attempt to
come to an understanding with the gov
eminent of Great Britain by which the
character and conditions of war upon the
sea may be changed. The government of
the United States would consider it a
privilege thus to serve its friends and the
world. 1t stands ready at any time to
convey to either government any intima-
ton or suggestion the other may be will
ing to have it convey, and cordially In
vites the Imperial German government to
make use of its services in this way at its
convenience The whole world is con-
cerned in anything that may bring about
even a partial accommodation of interests
or in any way mitigate the terrors of the
present distressing conflict.
In the meantime, whatever arrangement
may happily be made between the parties
to the war, and whatever may, in the opin
ion of the Imperial German government
t have been the provocation or the circum
e stantial justification for the past acts o
t its commanders at sea, the government o
the United States confidently looks to SET
a the justice and humanity of the govern
I ment of Germany indicated in all case
0 where Americans have been wronged o
r their rights as neutrals invaded.
e The government of the United States
: therefore, very earnestly and very solemn
: " renews the representations of its not
5, transmitted to the Imperial German gov
e eminent on the 18th of May and relic
G in these representations upon the prime
:, pies of humanity, the universally reeos
+ nized understandings of international Law
e and the ancient friendship of the Germa
d nation
The government of the United State
le cannot admit that the proclamation of
lie war zone from which neutral ships hay
IS been warned to keep away may be mad
N to operate as in any degree an abbrevi
1t ton of the rights either of American shil
,r masters or of American citizens bound Q
i lawful errands as passengers on merchar
r. ships of belligerent nationality. 1t do
le not understand the Imperial German go
is eminent to question those rights. 1t Ii
~ derstands it also to accept as establisht
Ih beyond question the principle that Il
n, lives of non-combatants cannot lawfully
y rightfully be put in jeopardy by the ca
VS. ture or destruction of an unresisting me
v chairman, and to recognize the oblgatiC
f. to take sufficient precaution to ascerta
of whether suspected merchantmen is
fact of belligerent nationality or is in ia
n carrying contraband of war under ne
ed trail flag The government of the Unit
,e- States deems it reasonable to expect til
Ia the Imperial German government W
n adopt the measures necessary to put the
he principles into practice in respect of t
to Safeguarding of American lives al
its asks for assurances that this will be dor
in ROBERT LANSING,
its Secretary of State ad Interim.