The Washington times., 1915-05-31
vON JAGOW EXPLAINS
PRELIMINARY REPLY
Issues Involved Demand an
Agreement Of Facts, Foreign
Secretary Says.

BERLIN, May 31.--Foreign Secretary
Won Jagow has outlined the reasons
which impeled the German government
to send an ad interim note to the Uni
ted states Government, instead OF
final and definite reply to the repre-
sentations regarding Germany's sub
marine policy.
Jagow. are of such importance, and
the views In regard to the Lusitania
show such variance. that the German
government believed 1t essential TO at
tempt to establish a common basis OF
fact before entering into discussion Oh
the issues involved. .
I'VE hope and trust that the Amer
ican Government will take the same
view of the case and let us know In
what points their understanding of
the facts differs from the German
viewpoint as set forth in the note, and
in what points they agree, before look
in~ for a direct answer to their commu-
nication.
THE American note, of course, leaves
the way open for a preliminary discus
sion Of the situation as suggested In the
German note, / hope that such a COM
mon basis of fact, once established,
| may serve as the groundwork for fur
ther conversations"
The minister was willing to give
more definite outline TO or to comment
might be reached on a basis OF an In
| spection and certification by the Ameri-
can Government of passenger ships not
carrying war cargoes. pointing out that
he did not feel entitled to anticipate, as
the other departments of the Govern
ment must be heard before suggestions
could be definitely taken UP or dis
cussed.
Not Germany's Fault.
DR.. Won Jagow expressed pleasure at
the newspaper announcement that
American line steamers were not car
rying contraband, but he suggested the
advisability of supplementing such
newspaper statements by more definite
authoritative announcements.
D. Won Jagow said mat Germany from
the outset had been willing to aban-
doom her submarine war against mer-
chantmen In response to return by
Great Britain to the regulations OF
war regarding contraband generally ac-
cepted before the war, the specific con-
dltions being the lifting Of the embargo
on foodstuffs and raw materials now on
| the list OF conditional contraband.
II was not Germany's fault. but Great
Brltian's. he said, that the well meant
proposals OF the United States for
compromise failed.
The question OF foodstuffs and raw
| materials" DR.. Won Jagow said. "is not
| a question of necessity for Germany. but
| one of principle. Germany has shown,
] think that It cannot be starved out by
! Great Britain's embargo on foodstlns.
| We may be a little short Of some or
| another particular food products, but we
have enough to live on and keep up the
struggle.
As to Raw Materials.
THE same Is true of raw materials.
] with which. according to the London
declaration, belligerents have no right
| to interfere when they are not spe-
officially destined for the armed forces
of any enemy. Germany Is able to
get along, even it the imports of such
materials are cutl off, Germany. how
ever. objects to the cool assumption
| of the British cabinet that when II Is
legitimately ton the battlefield 1t is en-
| titled to try to force the nation to Its
knees by economic pressure. disre-
garding all accepted precepts and fegu-
! laticns of war
The analogy Of the besieged fortress
| does not apply to Germany. The resi-
| dent who settles in a fortress does 10
cogrizant of the risk. and aware that
he can leave before the siege begins. but
| there IL no precedent for the siege OF
the civilian population of a whole nation
| in Its own land with no possibility of
escape. Germany will fight such an un-
| justified method of war with aR the
means at her disposal"
The Nebraskan Case.
| DR.. Won Jagow said he had absolutely
| no information regarding the American
| steamer Nebra skan. which was dam
| aged by an explosion in the Irish Sea
| last week, and in the absence OF any
| definite news as to whether the ship
| was torpedoed or struck a mine he de-
| clined to express an opinion as to the
effect of the incident on the pepding
| negotiations.
The Nebraskan. in any event. DR.. Won
JaSow said, was not torpedoed with
| design by German submarine. The
German policy regarding neutral ship
ping, even in the war zone. had been
| enunciated clearly. There was no In
tention OF attacking neutral ships.
| Are you an optimist or a pessimist
| regarding the German-American situa-
tion?" asked the correspondent as he
was taking his leave of the foreign min
| lister.
How can tell you how our note will
| be recelVed?" replied DR.. Won Jagow
Il have no means of communicating
with the ambassador at Washington or
OF gauging public sentiment. Wireless
communications is limited and rather
unsatisfactory. There are no means for
cabling and the open wireless messages
We are sending are read or interfered
with by British stations. We are vir-
tually cut off from America, and we
are working in the dark"