The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-25
Department of State.
Washington, July 81, 1915.


Washington, July 81, 1915.
You are instructed to deliver text
ually the following note to the min
lister for foreign affairs:
The note Of the imperial German
government dated the Sth of July,
1915, has received the careful con-
sideration of the government Of the
United States, and it regrets to be
obliged to say that 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
arrangements for partial suspension
Of those principles which virtually set
them aside.
The government of the United
States notes with satisfaction that
the imperial German government rec
ognizes without reservation the validity
of the principles insisted upon in the
several communications which this
government has addressed to the I'M
lperial German government with re-
gard to it's announcement of 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 cargo
| of merchantmen must first be ascer-
tanned before she can lawfully he
seized or destroyed, and that the lives
| of non-combatants may in no case be
put in jeopardy unless the vessel re-
sists or seeks to escape after being
| summoned to submit to examination;
for belligerent act of retaliation is
per Sc an act beyond the law, and the
defense of an act as retaliatory Is an
admission that it is illegal.
The government of the United
States is, however, keenly disappoint-
ed to find that the imperial German
government regards itself as in large
degree exempt from the obligation to
observe these principles, even where
neutral vessels are concernd, by what
| it believes the policy and practice or
the government of Great Britain to
be in the present war with regard to
neutral commerce.
The imperial German government
will readily understand that the gov
ernr,ent Of the United States cannot
discuss the policy of the government
of Great Britain with regard to neu-
trail trade except with that govern
ment itself, and that it must regard
| 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 unjustff1able vio-
lations of the rights of American
citizens by German naval command
ers.
! Illegal and inhuman acts, however
! justifable they may be thought to be
against an enemy who is believed to
| have acted in contravention OF law
and humanity, are manifestly fnde-
fensibl.a when they deprive neutrals
of their acknowledged rights, particu-
larly when they violate the right OF
life itself.
If belligerent cannot retaliate
against an enemy without injuring the
lives Of neutrals, as we'll as their
property, humanity, as well as justice
and a due regard for the dignity Of
neutral powers, should dictate that
the practice be discontinued. If per-
sisted in it would In such circum-
stances constitute an objectionable
offense against the sovereignty Of the
neutral nation affected,
The government or the Onlleu
States is not unmindful Of the extra
ordinary conditions created by this
war or of the radical alterations Of
circumstance and method of attack
produced by the use of instrumental
ties of naval warfare which the ma
tions Of the world cannot have had
in view when the existing rules Of in
ternational law we're formulated. and
it is ready to make every reasonable
allowance for these novel and unex-
pected aspects Of war at sea; but it