The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-12

1 ships. in the war zone and the use Of the American flag, together with the state departments introductory an nouncements, are as follows:
 To Germany.
 s4r Feb. 10, 1915.
 The secretary of state has instruct ed Ambassador Gerard at Berlin to
 present to the German government a
 note to the following effect:
 ! The government of the United States having had it's attention di- rected to the proclamation of the Ger man admiralty, issued on the 4th of i February. that the waters surround ling Great Britain and Ireland, includ- ing the whole of the English Channel, are to be considered as comprised ;Nvithin the seat of war;. that all en- femy naeFchant vessels found in those waters after the 1 9th inst will be, de- stroyed, a1thoughssi it may not always be possible to save crews and passen-
 gers; and that neutral vessels expose l thense1ves to danger within this zone i of war because, in view of the misuse 1 of neutral flags said to have been or dered by the British government on 1 the 31st of January and of the conttn-
 gencfes of marltinne warfare, it may not be possible always to exempt. neu- 1 traI vessels from attacks intended to
 strike enemy ships, feels it to be its duty to call the attention of the 1n- per1aI man.government, with sin ! cere respect and the most friendly
 sentiments, but very candfdly and
 earnestly, to the very serious possi-. I bflities of the course of action ap-
 parently contemplated under that
 proclamation
 aThe governInent ofs4sthe United
 States views those possibilities with
 such grave concern that it feels it to
 be it's privilege, and, indeed, it's duty, lin the circumstances to request the
 Imperial German government to con- dsider before action 1s taken the crit l Between this country and Germany < which might ariss were the German. tnaval forces, in carrying out the pol lacy sforeshadowed in the admiralty's 4proclamation, to destroy any merchant dxessel of the United States or cause fthee death Of American citizens.
 It is, of course, mot necessary to l remind the German government that
 the sole right Of a belligerent in deal l ing with neutral vessels on the high 1 seas is limited to visit and search.
 unless a blockade is proclaimed and l effectively maintained, which this I government does not understand to ] be proposed in this case To declare
 or exercise a right to attack and l destroy any svessel;ssentertng pre-
 scribed area 1e high seas with l out first certa1n15 deterH1fning it's bel Iligerent nationaIity and the contra band character Of it's cargo would be Ian act so unprecedented in naval war 2I fare that this eexerHnneut is reluctant to believe thai faIeriaI Govern I nnent of1Germa any his case contena4 l plates it as possible.
 The suspicion that enemy ships are using neutral flags improperly can I create no just sumption that all
 ships traversing prescribed area are
 subject, to the same suspicion. It issto ki,Nvae Iar,& lzahis government understands the right lsof visit and search to have been rec Il ognized.
 Is This government has carefully I i1oted the explanatory statement is- 2. sued by the Imperial German govern ] n1ent at the same time with the proc7 1 Iarnation of the German admiralty, t and takes this occasion to remind the ! Imperial German government very re- lspectfully that the government of the
 United States is open to none of the
 criticism for unneutral action ito
 which the German government be- E Heves the governments 5ofc ertain H1 other neutral nations have laid them
 selves open; that the government of
 the United States has not consented
 to or acauiesced e} in g any measure
 which may have been taken by the ~ other belligerent nations in2the pres ert war, which operate to restrain neu-
 tra1 trade but has, on the contrary,
 taken, in an such matters, position I which warrants it in holding those 7 *Egovern1nerits responsible in the proper sI,Svay forAany sa antQward. effects on Fl American shipping which the accepted
 principles of international law do not justify; and that it. therefore, re-
 gards itself as free in the present in
 stance to take with a. clear conscience
 and upon accepted principles the pc sitio1S indicated in this note.
 -l If the commanders of German ves- lsels of war should act upon the pre- surnption that the flag of the United States was not being used in good faith and should destroy on the high seas an American vessel or the lives of American citizens, it would be | difacuIt for the government of the United States to view the act in any other light than as an indefensible vi , o1ation Of neutral rights, which II would be very hard, indeed. to recon :. EciIe with the friendly relations now happily subsisfing between the two governments
 If such a deplorab1e situation
 should arise, the Imperial German
 government can readily apprecia.t' Ithat the government of the United
 States would be constrained to holt
 the Imperial government Of GerInan1 to a strict accountab abtltty for such. act : of their naval authorities. and to take ! any steps it might be necessary to take to SaI0SuaT0 lA1nOIASeS1 1As OS7 " e1-tv and to secure to American citi } zens the full enjoyment of their ac ! knowledged rights on the high seas The governm ent of the United States in view of these considerations l which it urges with the greatest re snect and with the sincere purpos
 of making sure that no nisunder standings may. arise, and no circuIn stances occur, that might even iclou' the intercourse of the two govern : ments, expr esses the confident. hop and expectation that the lmperia German government can and will giv
 assurance that American citizens ant their vessels will not be molested b, the naval forces of Germany other wise than by visit and search, thougl