The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-07-10
GERMANY PLEDGES
PROTECTION FOR
AMERICANS
Provided They Travel on Marked
Ships Without COntraband
WILL CONTINUE SUBMARINE WAR
Says That England Has Forced the
Germans To This Step and That
England Is to Blame.

! The text of Germanys reply to the
| United States second note ON the
Lusitania case was made public at
! Washington just after midnight this
morning The German reply is most
| friendly in spirit and promises safety
to American ships and to passenger
| ships which are guaranteed by neu-
trail nation to carry no contraband,
The essential part of the German
reply is following:
"ln the spirit of friendship where
with the German nation has been i'm
bued toward the union and its inhab-
tants since the earliest days of its ex-
istence the imperial government will
always be ready to do all it can dur
ing the present war also to prevent
the jeopardizing of lives of American
citizens. The imperial government,
therefore, repeats the assurances that
American ships will not be hindered
in the prosecution of legitimate ship
ping and the lives of American citi-
zens in neutral vessels shall not be
placed in jeopardy.
In order to exclude any unforeseen
dangers to American passenger steam
ers made possible in view of the CON
duct of maritime war by Germany's
adversaries, German submarines Will
be instructed to permit the free and
safe passage OF such passenger steam
ers when made recognizable by spec
ial markings and notified a reasona-
bic time in advance. The imperial
government, however, confidently
hopes that the American government
will assume to guarantee that these
vessels have no contraband on board
details OF arrangement for the un-
hampered passage of these vessels to
be agreed upon by the naval authori-
ties of both sides
I'm order TO furnish adequate facil-
tiles for travel across the Atlantic
for American citizens. the German
government submits for consideration
proposals TO increase the number of
available steamers by installing in
passenger service a reasonable mum
ber of neutral steamers under the
American flag, the exact number to
be agreed upon under the same con
dition as the above mentioned Amer
ican steamers.
THE imperial government believes
it can assume that in this manner adj
equate facilities for travel across the
Atlantic ocean can be aifored Ameri-
can citizens Three would. therefore,
appear to be no compelling necessity
for American citizens to travel to Eu.
rope in time of war on ships carrying
an enemy flag In particular the i'm
perial government is unable to admit
that American citizens can protect
an enemy ship through the mere fact
of their presence on board.
Germany merely followed Eng
lands example when she declared
part of the high seas an area of war.
Consequently accidents suffered by
neutrals on enemy ships in this area
of war cannot well be judged different
ly from accidents TO which neutrals
are at all tlmeS exposed aJ inc seat OF
war on land when they betake them
selves into the dangerous localities in
spite of previous warnings. If how
ever, it should not be possible for the
American government to require an
adequate number of neutral passeng-
er steamers the imperial government
is prepared to interpose no objections
to the placing under the American
flag by the American government of
four enemy passenger steamers for
passenger traffic between North Am
erica and England Assurances of
free and safe passage for American
passenger steamers would then ex-
tend to apply under the identical pro
conditions to these formerly hostile
passenger steamers