Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-07-15
GERMANY OFFERS
SAFETY To ALL
AMERICAN SHIPS
Kaiser Points Out Way to Guard
Vessels.
CONTRABAND is BARRED
y. S. Must Give PIedge-Note on Sub
marine Suggests Means OF Pro-
Viding Steamers for Travel
TO Europe.

Berlin, July 9, via London, July 10
/ The text of the German note in reply
to that Of the United States regard
ing the sinking of the Lusitania and
submarine warfare follows:
Undersigned has the honor to
make the following reply to his excel
| lency Ambassador Gerard to the note
Of the tenth ultimo re the impairment
| Of American interests by the German
| submarine war The imperial govern
| ment learned with satisfaction from
/ the note how earnestly the govern
ment Of the United States is con-
| cerned in seeing the principles of hui
/ mainly realized in the present war.
Also this appeal finds ready echo in
| Germany, and the imperial govern
I ment is quite willing to permit its
statements and decisions in the pres
ent case to be governed by the prin-
| ciple Of humanity, just as it has done
| always.
The imperial government welcomed
with gratitude when the American
| government, in the note of May Is,
! itself recalled that Germany had al
ways permitted itself to be governed
by the principles of progress and hui
manity in dealing with the law of
maritime war.
Since the time when Frederick the
| Great negotiated with John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin and Thomas JEFF
ferson the treaty of friendship and
| commerce of September 9, 1855, be-
| tween Prussia and the republic of the
west, German and American states
men have, in fact, always stood to-
gether in the struggle for the freedom
of the seas and the protection Of
! peaceful trade. In the international
| proceedings which since have been
! conducted for the regulation of the
| laws Of maritime war Germany and
America have Jointly advocated pro-
gressive principles, especially the abol-
ishment of the right of capture at sea
and the protection of the interests of
neutrals
Even at the beginning of the pres
ent war the German government i'm
mediately declared it's willingness in
response to proposals of the American
government to ratify the declaration
! Of London and thereby subject itself
! in the use of it's naval forces to all
! the restrictions provided therein in
favor of neutrals.
Germany likewise has been always
tenacious of the principle that war
| should be conducted against the
armed and organized forces of an enc
my country, but that the enemy civ
iiian population must be spared as far
as possible from the measures of war.
The imperial government cherishes
| the definite hope that some way will
be found when peace is concluded,
or perhaps earlier, to regulate the law
! of maritime war in a manner guaran-
teeing the freedom of the seas and
will welcome it with gratitude and
! satisfaction if it can work hand in
hand with the American government
on that occasion.
Germany Has No Guilt"
IF in the present wa the principles
which should be the ideal of the fu-
! ture have been transgressed more and
more, the longer its duration, the Ger
man government has no guilt therein.
1T is known to the American gov
eminent how Germany's adversaries,
! by completely paralyzing peaceable
traffic between Germany and neutral
countries, have aimed from the very
! beginning, and with increasing lack
| of consideration, at the destruction,
| not so much of the armed forces, as
the life of the German nation, repudi-
ating in doing so all the rules of inter
national law and disregarding all
rights of neutrals.
"On November 8, 1914, England de,
clared the North sea a war area and
| by planting poorly anchored mines and
by the stoppage and capture of yes.
sells made passage extremely danger
Gus and difficult for neutral shipping, sc
(by p actually blockading neutral
coasts and ports contrary to all inter
| national law. Long before the begin
ming of submarine war England prac
tically completely intercepted legiti
mate neutral navigation to Germany
| also. Thus Germany was driven to a
submarine war on trade.
ION November IA, 1914, the English
| premier declared in the house of com
mons that it was one of England's
principal tasks to prevent food for the
German population from reaching Ger
many via neutral ports. Since March
! /. England has been taking from neu
trail ships without further formality
all merchandise proceeding to Ger
many, as well as all merchandise com
| ing from Germany, even when neutral
! property.
Just as it was also with the Beers
the German people are now to be
! given the choice Of perishing from
/ starvation with its women and chill
/ dren or relinquishing its independence
"A War in Self-Defense"
| While our enemies thus loudly anG
/ openly proclaimed war without mercy
+ MFnIfI n m EnD TUE DkDHITc