The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-06-03
Jagow DEGREES
Blockade But
Denies Effect
Declares Britain's "Starve Ger
many Plan Is Responsible
For Submarine Policy.
FOOD APLENTY, HE SAYS
Minister ConceaIs Real
Motives For Sending AID
Interim Note.
FOOD APLENTY, HE SAYS

" IGIdTQ DIT Berlin mas Deen IOrIQ-
ally notified that the American
steamer Gulflight was sunk through
a mistake. The German submarine
commander reported that he failed
to notice the Gulflight's American
flag and took her.for a British YES
sci.
The state department announce
ment today says:
THE American ambassador at
Berlin reports that the chief of the
admiralty staff, Admiral Behnke,
has informed him hat the com
Of the submarine which
san the Gulflight did so through
mistake because two boats, similar
to trawlers, one carrying wireless
apparatus, were apparently onvoy
ing the Gulflight. The commander,
therefore. thought 1T a British boat
and did not notice he American
flag on the stern until Just before
giving the order to fire.
Berlin. June 1.-Gottlieb Won Jagow,
the imperial German foreign secretary,
Sunday received the correspondent of
the Associated Press and outlined the
reasons which empelled the Germon
government to send an ad interim note
to the United States government in
stead Of a final n definite answer to
the American representations regard
ing the Lusitania and other ships that
have been torpedoed, and Germany's
submarine policy.
"The issues involved" said Herr Won
Jagow. "were of such Importance and
the views in regard to the Lusitania
show such variance. hat the German
government believed it essential to at
tempt to establish a common basis of
facts before entering into a discussion
of the issues involved.
Conceais Real Motive.
"We hope and trust that the Ameri-
can government will take the same
view of the case and let US know in
what points their understanding on
the facts differs from the German view
point as set forth in the note, and in
what points they agree, before looking
for a direct answer to their commune
| cation.
1.-THE American note, Of course, leaves
the way open for a preliminary discus
sion of the situation as suggested in the
German note. I hope that such a COM
mon basis of fact, once established,
may serve as the groundwork for fur
Their conversations"
The minister was unwilling to give a
more definite outline to-, or to
on, the suggestion that an arrangement
might be reached on a basis Of an in
spection and certification by the Amer
lean government Of passenger ships not
carrying war cargoes, pointing out that
he did not feel authorized to anticipate.
as the departments of the government
must be heard before suggestions could
be definitely taken or discussed.
DR.. Won Jagow expressed pleasure at
the newspaper announcement that
American line steamers were not car
rying c~ontraband, but he suggested he
a~dVlsabiHty of experimenting such
newspaper announcements by much
more definite and authoritative an
nouncementS.
Replying to a question, DR.. Won ia
gov said that Germany from the
outset has been willing to abandon her
ubmarine warfare against merchant
men in response to a return by Great
Britain to the regulations of war re-
garding c~ontraband generally accepted
before the war, the specific condition
being the lifting Of the embargo on
foodstuffs and raw material now on
the list Of conditional contraband. 1t
was not Germany's fault but Great
BIitain's, he said, that the well meant
proposals of the United States for a
compromise failed.
Defends Subsea Policy.
THE question Of foodstuff and raw
materials" DR.. Won Jagow said, 'is not
a question Of necessity for GERMANY.
but n of principle. Germany has
shown, I think. that it cannot be
starved out by Great Britain's embargo
on foodstuffs. We may be a little short
of some particular food products, but
we have enough to live on and keep, up
the struggle.
THE same is true of raw materials,
with which, according to the London
declaration. belligerents have no right
to interfere when they are not specifi-
cally destined for the armed forces of
an enemy. Germany is able to get
along, even if the imports of such ma
terials are cut off. Germany, however,
objects to the cool assumption of the
British cabinet h a when it is unable
to defeat the German armies legiti-
mately on the battlefield it is entitled
to try to force the nation to it's knees
by economic pressure. ~disregarding all
accepted precepts n regulations of
war.
"The analogy OF the besieged fortress
does not apply to Germany. The resi-
dents who settle in a fortress do so
| cognizant of the risk and aware that