Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1915-07-30
FINAL WARNING
SENT TO KAISER
AMERICA TO DEFEND RIGHTS,
AND NEXT ATTACK TO BE
"UNPARpoNABLE
oFFENsE.r
ASKS FREEDOM OF SEAS
U. S. WILL NOT A5ATE AIRY
FUNDAMENTAL OR ESSEN
TIAL RIGHT OF ITS
PEOPLE.
ws.tern N-swspaper ualoa Nsrs ssrves.

western Newspaper Union News Service.
Berlin. July 24-The American note
warning Germany to respect U. s..
rights was delivered by Ambassador
Gerard to Minister Of Foreign Affairs
Won Jagow. The full text follows:
Department Of State. Washington,
July p, 1915. The Secretary Of
State TO Ambassador Gerard:
You are instructed to deliver text
uaIly the following note TO the minis
ter OF foreign affairs:
The note OF the imperial German
government dated the Sth OF July,
1915. has received the careful consid-
GRAFTON Of the government of the
United States, and it regrets to be
Obliged to say hat it has found 1t
very unsatisfactory. because it fails to
meet the real differences between the
two governments, and indicates no
way in which the accepted principles
Of law and humanity may be applied
in the grave matter in controversy,
but proposes, on the contrary, ar
rangements for a partial suspension
of those principles which virtually set
them aside.
Validity Of Principles Recognized.
The government Of the United
States notes with satisfaction that
the imperial German government rec
Ognizes without reservation the vail
dity Of the principles insisted upon in
the several communications which
this government has addressed to the
imperial German government with re-
gard to its announcement of a war
zone and the use Of submarines
against merchantmen on the high
seas-the principle that the high seas
are free, that the character and car
go of a merchantmen must first be as
ceTtained before she can lawfully be
seized or destroyed, and that the lives
Of non-combatants may in no cas- be
put in jeopardy unless the vessel re-
sists or seeks to escape after being
summoned to submit to examination;
for a belligerent act of retaliation in
per sc an act beyond the law, and the
defense of an act as retaliatory is an
admission that it is illegal.
German View Disappointing.
The government Of the United States
is, however, keenly disappointed t
find that the imperial German gov
eminent regards itself as I'm large de
gree exempt from the obligation t
observe these principles, even wher'
neutral vessels are concerned, by wha
II believes the policy and practice o
the government of Great Britain to b'
in the present war with regard to neu
trail commerce.
The imperial German government
will readily understand that the gov
eminent of the United States canno
discuss the policy Of the government
OF Great Britain with regard to neu
trai trade except with that govern
ment itself, and that 1t must regar,
the conduct of other |belligerent gov
ernments as irrelevant to any discus
sion with the imperial German gov
eminent OF what this government re
CARDS as grave and uniustifiable viola
tons of the rights Of American citl
gems by German naval commanders.
Methods objectionable"
Illegal and inhumaD acts, howeve
~justinable they may be thought to b,
against an enemy who is believed Il
have acted In co%ntravention OF Law ant
humanity, are nIanifestly indefensibll
when they deprive neutrals Of thei
acknowledged rights, particular,
when they violate the rights to lifI
itself.
II a belligerent cannot retaliatl
a~.ainst an enemy without injuring tn
lives OF neutrals as well as thei
property. humanity, al well as iustic
and a due regard for the dignity o
neutral powers. should dictate that tn
practice be discontinued.
II persisted in, il would in sucI
circumstances constitute an unpaI
dOnable Offense against the sovereign
" Of the neutral nation affected.
The government Of the United
States is not unmindful OF the extra
ordinary conditions created by thii
wal or OF the radical alterations Of
circumstances and method OF attach
produced by the use OF instrumental
tiles OF naval warfare which the ma
tons OF the world cannot have had IN
view when the existing rules OF inter
national law were formulated, and 4
is ready to make every reasonable al
l1wance for these novel and uneX
pected aspects OF war at sea; hut II
cannot consent to abate any %essentia
or fundamental right Of its people be
cause OF q mere alteration Of circum
stance.
The rights OF neutrals IN time Of
war are based upon principle, not up
on expediency, and the principles are
immutable.