The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-05-20
TEXT OF PRESIDENT VIII SONS NOTE TO GERMANY
Impressive and final Protest Against Submarine Warfare on Mer
Chant Ships

cred principles of justice and human.
ity.
american citizens act within
their indisputable rights in taking
their ships and in travelling wherever
their legitimate business calls them
upon the high seas, and exercise
those rights in which should be the
we'll justified confidence that their
lives will not be endangered by acts
done in clear violation of universal
| ly acknowledged international obli-
cation, and certainly in the conf
dence that their own government will
sustain them in the exercise OF
their rights.
"There was recently published in
the newspapers of the United States,
l regret to inform the imperial Ger
man government, formal warning,
purporting to come from the imper-
ial German embassy at Washington,
addressed to the people of the Unit
ed States and stating, in effect, that
any citizen of the United States who
exercised his rights of free travel
upon the seas would do so at his
peril if his journey should take him
within the zone Of waters within
which the imperial German navy was
using submarines against the COM
merce of Great Britain and France,
Notwithstanding the respectful but
very earnest protest of his govern
ment, the government of the United
States.
81 do not refer to this for the pur-
pose of calling the attention OF the
| ~ Of
time to the surprising irregularity OF
a communication from the imperial
German embassy at Washington ad-
dressed to the people OF the United
States through the newspapers, but
only for the purpose of pointing out
that no warning that an unlawful
and inhumane act would be commit
ted can possibly be accepted as an
excuse or palliation for that act or as
an abatement of the responsibility
for it's commission.
''Long acquainted as this govern
! INIT has been with the character OF
the imperial German government
and with the high principles of
equity by which they have in the past
been actuated and guided, the gov
eminent of the United States cannot
believe that the commanders OF the
vessels which committed these acts
of lawlessness did SO except under a
misapprehension of the orders issu-
ed by the imperial German naval
authorities. 1t takes it for granted
that, at least within the practical
possibilities of every such case, the
commanders even of submarines
were expected to do nothing that
would involve the lives of noncom-
batants or the safety of neutral
ships, even at the cost of failing OF
their object Of capture or destruc-
ton.
sit confidently expects, therefore,
that the imperial German govern
ment will disavow the acts of which
the government of the United States
complains, thatethey willsmake repair
alton so far as reparation is pos
sible for injuries which are without
measure, and that they will take inn
mediate steps to prevent the recur-
renee of anything SO obviously sub
versive to the principles of warfare
for which the imperial German gov
eminent has in the past so wisely
and so firmly cOntended.
"The government and people of
the United States look to the imper-
ial German government for just,
prompt, and enlightened action in
this vital matter with the greater
confidence because the United States
and Germany are bound together,
not only by the special ties of friend
ship, but also by the explicit stipu-
lations of the treaty of 1928 between
the United States and the kingdom
of Prussia.
Expression of regret and offers of
reparation in case of the destruction
of neutral ships sunk by mistake,
while they may satisfy international
obligations if no loss of life results,
cannot justify or excuse practice
the natural and necessary effect of
which is to subject neutral nations
and neutral persons to new and i'm
measurable risks.
1.-THE imperial German govern
ment will not expect the government
of the United States to omit any
word or any act necessary to the per-
Torrance of its sacred duty of main
tanning the rights of the United
States and it's citizens and of safe
guarding their free exercise and en-
jOyment. BRYAN.