The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-07-29
LATEST GERMAN note IS
REITERATI0N OF POLICY

submarine operations as have charac-
terized the activities of the imperial
German navy within the so-called war
zone in substantial accord with the ac-
copied practices of regulated warfare.
The whole world has looked with In
terest and increasing satisfaction at
the demonstration of that possibility
by the German naval commanders. It
is manifestly possible, therefore, to
lift the whole practice of submarine at
tack above the criticism which it
aroused so as to remove the chief
causes of offense. In view of the ad-
mission of the Illegally made by the
imperial government when it pleaded
the right of retaliation in defense of
it's acts, and in view of the manifest
possibility of conforming to establish
rules of naval Warafre, the government
of the United States cannot believe the
imperial government will longer re-
frain from disavowing the wanton act
of it's naval commander in sinking the
Lusitania or from offering reparation
of the American lives lost, so far as
reparation can be made for the the
needless destruction of human life by
an illegal act.
Have Long Stood Together
The government of the United
States, while not Indifferent to the
friendly spirit in which it is made, can
not accept the suggestion of the imper-
ial German government that certain
vessels be designated and agreed upon
which shall be free on seas now illeg~
ally prescribed. That very agreement
would, by implication subject other
vessels to illegal attack and would be
curtailment therefore of the aban-
donment of the principles for which
this government contend and which in
times of calmer counsels every nation
would cOncede as a matter of course.
The government of the United States
and the imperial German government.
contending for the same great object
have long stood together in urging the
very principles upon which the govern
ment of the United States now so
solemnly insists. They are both con-
tending for the freedom of the seas.
The government of the United
! States will continue to contend for
that freedom from whatever quarter
violated without compromise and at
any cost. 1t invites the practical
cooperation of the imperial German
government at this time, when CO.
operation may accomplish the most
and this great common object be most
strikingly and effectively achieved.
The imperial German government ex-
presses the hope that this object may
in some measure be accomplished
even before the present war ends. It
can be. The government of the
United States not only feels obliged
to insist upon it, by whomsoever VIC
lated or ignored, in protection of its
own citizens, but it also deeply inter-
ested in seeing it made practica BILE be-
tween the belligerents themselves
and holds itself ready at any time
| to act a common friends who may
| be privileged to suggest way.
Must observe rights
In the meantime the very value
which this government sets upon the
long and unbroken friendship between
the people and the government of the
United States and the people and
government Of the German nation
impels it to press very solemnly upon
the imperial German government the
necessity for the scrupulois o5Ser-
vance Of neutral rights in this critical
matter. That friendship itself prompts
it to say to the imperial government
that repetition by the commanders
of German vaval vessels of the acts
in contravention of those rights must
be regarded by the government of the
United States, when they affect
American citizens, as deliberately un-
friendly.
(Signed) Lansing