Arizona republican., 1915-06-11
FULL TEXT OF THE NOTE
Continued from Page One)

and sunk without so much as a
 challenge or warning, and that men,
 women and children went to their
 death in circumstances unparalleled
 in modern warfare. The fact that
 more than one hundred American cit
 izens were among those who perished
 made it the duty of the government
 of the United States to speak these
 things and to once more, with sol
 emn emphasis, call the attention of
 the imperial German government to
 the grave responsibility which the government of the United States con-
 ceives it incurred in this tragic oc-
 currence and to the indisputable
 principle upon which that responsi-
 bility rests.
 The government of the United
 States is contending for something,
 which is greater than the mere rights of property or privileges of commerce.
 It is contending nothing less high and sacred than the rights of hu- manity which every government hon. ors itself in respecting and which no government is justified in resigning on behalf of those under it's care and authority. Only her actual resistance, capture or refusal to stop when or
 dered to do so for the purpose of visit could have afforded the com
 mander of a submarine any justifica-
 tion for so much as putting the lives of those on board the ship in
 jeopardy, a principle the government of the United States understands explicit instructions issued Au- gust 3, 1914, by the German admir- alty to it's commanders at sea to have recognized and embodied as do the naval codes of all other nations, and upon it every traveller and sea man had a right to depend.
 Tt is upon this principle of hu- manity as well as upon law founded on this principle that the United States must stand. The government of the United States is happy that your excellency's note closes with the intimation that the German govern ment is willing, now as before, to accept the good offices of the United States in an attempt to come to an understanding with the government of Great Britain, by which the char acter and conditions of war upon the sea may be changed The govern ment of the United States would con- sider it a privilege thus to serve it's friends and the world It stands ready at any time to convey to either government any intimation or suggestion the other may be willing to have it convey and cordially in i vites the German government to make use of it's services in this way at it's convenience. The whole world | is concerned in anything that may bring about even partial accommo- 1 dation of interests or in any way | the terrors of the present | conflict.
 Tn the meantime, whatever ar may happily be made be- | tween the parties to the war and | whatever may in the opinion of the imperial German government have been provocation or circumstantial | justification for the past acts of it's at sea, the government of the United States confidently looks to see the justice and hu- of the government of Ger many vindicated in all cases where Americans have been wronged or their rights as neutrals invaded.
 The government of the United States therefore very earnestly and very solemnly renews the representa- ions of it's note transmitted to the imperial German government on May l5 and relies in these representations lpon the principles of humanity, uni recognized understandings of international law, and the ancient l. friendship of the German nation
 The government of the United States cannot admit that the procla- nation of a war zone from which neutral ships have been warned to leep away may be made to operate IS in any degree an abbreviation of he rights, either of American ship + masters or American citizens bound ( m a lawful errand as passengers on { merchant ships of a belligerent na- l It does not understand the <, imperial German government to ques- \ ion those rights It understands it I lso to accept as established beyond I uestion, the principle that the lives I f noncombatantS cannot lawfully or I