The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-04-24

eNcellcncy employs In your memOran-
dem is susceptible of being construed
as impugning the good faith Of the
United states I'm the performance of
it's duties as a neutral. l take it for
granted that no such implication was
intended. but ii is so evident that your
excellency is laboring under certain
false impressions that I can not pc
too explicit in setting forth the facts
as they are. when fully reviewed and
comprehended.
in the first place, this government
has at no time and in no manner
yielded any one of it's rights as a
neutral to any one Of the present bel
ligerents. 1t has acknowledged, as
a matter Of course, the right Of visit
and search and the right to apply the
rules Of c~ontraband OF war to articles
of m lei 1t has. indeed. insisted
upon the use of visit and search as an
absolutely necessary safeguard against
Suti NSooSio iOi NOooClS
owned by an enemy and against mis-,
taking legal cargoes for illegal. 1t has
admitted also the right of blockade if
actually exercised and effectively
maintained. These are merely the
we'll known limitations which war
places upon neutral on the
high seas. But nothing beyond these
has 1t conceded. 1 call your excellen-
cy's attention TO this Notwithstanding
IL already is known to all the world
as a consequence Of the publication of
our correspondence In regard to these
matters with several of the belligerent
nations because / can not assume that
you have official cognizance of it.
I'm the second place this govern
ment attempted to secure from the
German and British governments mu-
tual concessions with regard to the
measures those governments respec-
lively adopted for the interruption of
trade on the high seas. This it did,
not of right, but merely as exercising
the privileges Of a sincere friendship
of both parties and as according it's
impartial good will. The attempt was
unsuccessful. but / regret that your
e~xcellency did not deem 1t worthy of
mention in modification Of the i'm
pressions you express. We had hoped
that this action on our part had shown
our spirit in these times of distressing
war as our diplomatic correspondence
had shown our steadfast refusal to
acknowledge the right of any bellig-
erent to alter the accepted rules OF
war at sea in so far as they affect the
rights and interests Of n~eutrals.
I'm the third place, I note with
sincere regret that in directing atten-
ton to the sale and expectation of
arms by citizens of the United States
to enemies of Germany, your excel
lency seems to be under the impress
sion that 1T was within the choice OF
the government of the United States,
Notwithstanding it's professed neutral
ity and its diligent efforts to maintain
IL in other particulars, to inhibit this
trade. and that it's failure to do so
manifested an unfair attitude towards
Germany.
This government holds, as I be-
lieve your excellency is aware, and
as Ii is constrained to. hold in view
of the present indisputable doctrines
or accepted international law, that any
change in its own laws of neutrality
during the progress Of a war which
would affect u~nequally the relations
or the United States with the nations
at war would be an unjustifable de-
parture from the principle Of strict
neutrality by which it has consistently
sought 70 direct its actions and 1 re.
spectfully submit that none of the
circumstances urged in your excel
iency's memorandum alters the prin-
ciple involved.
The placing of an embargo on the
trade I'm arms at the present time
would constitute such q change and
De n direct violation of the neutrality
OF the United States. 1t will, 1 feel
assured, be clear to your excellency
that. holding this view and consider
Ing itself in honor bound by it, it
Is out OF the question for this govern
ment to consider such a course.
Il hope that your excellency will
realize the spirit in which / am draft
ing this reply. The friendship between
the people of the United States and
the people of Germany is so warm
and of such long standing, the ties
which bind them to one another in
"A I'M ~ nN.n 90 .x1n-. -