The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-07-20
GERMANY OFFERS
SAFETY To ALL
AMERICAN SHIPS
Kaiser Points Out Way to Guard
Vessels.
CoNTRABAND Is BARRED
U. 8. Must Give PIedee-Note on Sub
marine Suggests Means of Pro-
Vidlng Steamers for Travel
to Europe.

Berlin, July 9, via London, July To-
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.
ment is quite willing to permit It's
statements and decisions In the pres
ent case to be governed by the prin-
ciple Of humanity, just as it has done
always
Tho imperial government welcomed
with gratitude when the American
government, in the note of May 10,
AboCAl AO@fAAACG bAiriL CC1 many ndO d.
ways permitted itself to be governed
by the principles Of progress and hui
mainly 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, 1885, 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
ilian 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 1t 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 SC 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.
ION November 3, 1914, England de-
clared the North sea 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 neutr g. shipping, so
(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