Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-29

tconfinpsd frsm Pap. oas,

have covered much eff it in substance.
/ One of the most interesting features
of the new edition il the publication
| for the nrst time ct q memorandum 81
the German foreign Dfice referred in :
coIlouuy between Chairman Flood Of thu
House foreign affairs COMMITTEES and
Rep. Barthol6t OF Missouri at the hear.
ing on the bills proposing an emharss
t on arms. Mr. Food quoted the memo
randnm as a justification of his argu.
| ment that the German government die
| not hold shipments Of munitions TO tbs
| Allies as Illegal. II appears that thu
correspondence with the German gov
eminent conducted by Ambassador vor
\ Bernsdorf developed az . consequence
/ of ruling by the United States that
/ il twas a violation OF neutrality for
merchant ships to leave American ports
for the express purpose of supplying
! belligerent ships at sea.
! Ambassader's Note
/ The ambassadors note says:
1.-The position taken by the govern
ment OF the United States as TO the de-
I livery Of coal and other necessaries Il
/ constituting violation of neutrality, is
| in the opinion of the Imperial German
Government untenable international law
The Imperial Government has set forth
! its position on this point IN memoran-
dun which in compliance with instrue-
/ tons 1 have the honor to forward te
Your Excellency-"
| The memorandum follows.
/ Under the general principles of in
ternational law no exception can be ia
ken TO neutral states letting war ma
/ terial go to Germanys enemies from or
| through their territory. This is accord
I ant with Article of The Hague Con-
vention of October IS, 1907, concerning
/ the rights and duties of neutrals in ma
I val and land warfare. If. however, a
! state ayails itself of that liberty in
I favor of her enemies then il must, in
| accordance with a rule generally accept
| ed in international law and confirmed
1 in Article of the two conventions
/ above cited. place no obstacle TO the
/ German military force ordering contra
4 band from or through its territory. :
| In spite thereof. various American port
/ authorities have denied clearance from
American ports to vessels of the mer-
| chant marine which would carry needed
| supplies Of fuel 10 German warships
either on the high seas or in other neu-
| trail ports. According to the principles
of International law above cited. neu-
| trail state nead not prevent furnishing
supplies of this character; neither can
| il, after allowing the adversaries to be
! furnished with contraband, either de-
s,,
! ship carrying such a cargo.
/ Only when contraband trade would
| turn the ports into bases Of German
4 military operations would the unilateral
| stoppage of the trade of those vessels
become duty.
| 'Such. perhaps, would be the case 4
| the Germans kept coal depots in the
ports or If the vessels called at the port
! in regular voyages on the way TO Ger
man naval forces. But ii stands to rea-
son that one merchant vessel OCCASION
| ally sailing with coal or supplies for
| German warships does not turn a neu-
trail port into a German point Of supply
I contrary to neutrality.
Our enemies draw from the Unit
| ed States contraband of war; especial
ly arms. worth several millions of
marks. This, in itself, they are au-
thorized to do. But if the United
States would prevent our warships oc-
casionally drawing supplies from it's
ports a great injustice grows out OF
the authorization, for it would amount
to an unneutral treatment Of the bel
ligerents and constitute a breach of
the generally accepted rules of neu-
trality to Germany's detriment."
Secretary Of States Reply
The secretary of state in his reply
held that:
The essential idea of neutral ter
ritory becoming the base for naval
operations by belligerent is. in the
opinion of this government repeated
departure from such territory of mer-
chant vessels laden with fuel or 9TH
er supplies for belligerent warships
at sea: in order to ascertain the YES
sells which are thus operating, the
government has been obliged to in
vestigate certain cases in order that
it might determine whether there
have been or are about to be repe-
tition of such acts. but in all respects
equality of treatment has been OBJ
served toward all merchant vessels
| suspected of carrying supplies to bel
ligerents vessels"
The correspondence shows that the
State department received also a COM
plant from the British ambassador
stating that The systematic way in
which neutral ships have left Ameri-
can ports in order to supply German
cruisers. and have been allowed to
operate freely in the ports of the
United States in spite of the warn
ings which have been given in the
matter. causes grave anxiety to His
Majesty's government
Lansinp's Communication
MIR. Lansing replied that SO far as he
was advised.
Every suspicious case of vessel leay-
ing American ports to supply German
cruisers, which has been brought to
the attention of the United States with
any basis Of fact to support some such
statement, has been fairly investigated
The government of the United
States therefore feels obliged to decline
to accept any suggestions intimating
that its vigilance in the maintenance Of
the neutral duties under international
law has been relaxed"
On another occasion. the German am