Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-07-15

sinking of the Lusitania and the SUBJ
marine warfare, which was delivered to
James w. Gerard, the American am
basador, is:
81. Reiterated reassurances that
American ships engaged in Iegiti-
mats trade Will not be interferred
with, nor the lives Of Americans
upon neutral ships be endangered.
20. That German. submarines
can passenger ships to pass free
" and safely. Germany entertain
ing in return the confident hope
that the American government will
see that the ships do not carry con-
traband; such ships to be provided
t W'sh distinguishing marks, and
reasonable time in advance. The
same privilege is extended to a
reasonable number of neutral pas
senger ships under the American
flag, and should the number of
ships thus available for passenger
service prove ina%dequate,' Germany
is willing to permit America to
place four hostile passenger steam
ers under the American flag to ply
between North America and Eu-
rope under the same conditions.
Text of Document.
The ext of the note follows:
Berlin, JUL; s.-"The undersigned
has the honor to make the following
reply to his eXcellency. Ambassador
Gerard, to the note of the 10th ultimo in
the impairment of American interests
by the German submarine war. The i'm
perial German 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 appeal finds
ready echo in Germany, and the i'm
perial government is quite willing to
permit its statements and decisions in
the present case to be governed by he
principle of humanity, just as it has
done always.
welcomed with gratitude when the
American government in the note of
May 10, itself recalled that Germany
had always permitted itself to be gov-
erned by the principles of progress and
humanity in dealing with the law Of
maritime war. Since the time when
Frederick the Great negotiated with
John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and
Thomas Jefferson, the treaty of friend
ship and commerce of September 8,
1885, between Prussia and the republic
ofsthe west, German and American
statesmen have in fact always stood to-
gether in the struggle for the freedom
of the seas and for the protection of
~peaceable trade. In the International
proceedings that have been since on
Quoted for the regulation of the laws
of maritime warfare, Germany and
America have Jointly advocated prog
~ressivc principles, especially With re-
gard to the protectioa of the interests
of neutrals..
Treaty of Lon1on Violated.
Even at the beginning of the pres
ent war the German government de-
clared its willingness TO ratify'the dec
laration of London ana thereby subject
itself in the use of it's naval forces to
all the restrictions provided therein in
favor of neutrality. Germany likewise
has been tenacious of the principle
that war had been conducted against
the armed and organized forces of an
enemy country, but that enemy civilian
populstion must be spared as far as
possible from the measures of war. The
imperial government cherishes the def
mite hope that some way will be found
when peace is concluded, or perhaps
earlier, to regulate the law of maritime
var in a %tnnanner guaranteeing the
freedom of the seas, and will welcome
it with gratitude and satisfaction if it
can work hand in hand with the Amer
lean government on hat occasion.
In the present war the principles
which should be the ideal of the future
nave been ~transgressed more and more,
the longer its duration. The German
government has no guilt therein. 1t is
known to the American government
how G~ermany's adversaries, by COM
pletely p~aralyzing peaceable traffic be-
tween Germany and neutral countries,
have aimed from thu very beginning,
and with increasing lack of considera-
ton. at the destruction not so much of
the armed forces as the life of the Ger
man nation, ~repudiating in doing so all
| the rifles of ntnrnationa law md die
regarding all the rights of neutrals.
On November 8. 1914, England de-
clared the North sea a war area by
planting poorly anchored mines and by
the %stoppage and capture of vessels
made passing extremely dangerous and
difficult for neutral shipping, so that
they were actually blockading neutral
coasts and ports contrary to AL inter
national law. Long before the begin
ming of submarine warfare England
practically completely intercepted le-
Ultimate neutral navigation to Germany
also. Thus Germany was driven to q
submarine war trade.
The Food Blockade.
o November 10, 1914, the English
premier declared in the house of COM
mons that it was one of Ensland's prin-
cipal tasks to prevent food for the
German population from reaching Ger
many by way Of neutral ports. Since
March l England has been taking from
neutral ships without further Formally
all merchandise coming from Germany
even when neutral property. Just as il
was also with the Beers. the German
people are now to be given the choice
Of perishing from starvation with its
women and children, or of relinquishing
its independence.
while our enemies thus loudly and
openly proclaimed wal without mercy
until our utter destruction. we were
conducting war in self defense for ou1
national existence and for the sake OF
peace of an assured ~rermanency. We
have been obliged to adopt a submarine
warfare to meet the declared intentions
of our enemies and the method of war
fare adopted by them in c~ontraventior
of international law.
With all its efforts in principle tc