Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-07-17
GERMAN NOTE TO
UNITED STATES
upon SUBMARINE
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lean government win see that these
ships dc not carry contTaband; such
ships TO be provided with distinguish
ing marks and their arrival announced
reasonable time In advance.
Third The same privilege: is ex-
tended TO a reasonable number of sneu.
trail passenger ships under the Ameri-
can flag, and should the number OF
ships thus available for passenger
service prove inadequate, Germany is
willing 60 permit America to place four
hostile passenger steamers under the
American flag 10 ply between North
America and Europe under the same
conditions. ..s -.
The undersigned has the honor TO
make the following reply to his e%-
cellency, Ambassador Gerard, To- the
note of the 10th ultimo regarding the
impairment OF American interests by
the German submarine war. The i'm
perial government learned with sat
isfactIcn from the note how earnestly
the government of the United States is
concerned IN seeing the principles of
humanity realized in the present war.
Also this appeal finds ready echo in
Germany and the imperial government
is quite willing to permit its state
ments and decisions in the present
case to be governed by the principles
of humanity just as il has done always.
Welcomes Demand for Humanity.
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
mainly in dealing with the law of mari
time war. Since the time when Fred
eTick the Great negotiated with John
Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thorn
as Jefferson the treaty OF friendship
and commerce of September 8, 1885,
between Prussia and the republic of
the West, German and American
statesmen have, in fact, always stood
together in the struggle for the free
dem OF the seas and for the protection
OF peaceable trade. In the interna-
tional proceedings which since have
been conducted for the regulations OF
laws CT maritime war, Germany and
America have jointly advocated pro-
gressiye principles, especially the abol'
ishment of the right Of capture at sea
and the protection Of the interests Of
neutrals.
Willing to Protect Civilians.
Even at the beginning of the pres
ent war the German government i'm.
mediately declared its willingness to
ratify the declaration of London and
thereby subject itself in the use of its
naval forces to all the restrictions
provided therein in favor Of neutrals
Germany likewise has been always tie
naeicus of the principle that war
should be conducted against the arm
ed and organized forces of an enemy
country, but that the enemy civilian
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 manner guarantee
ing the freedom of the seas, and will
welcome it with gratitude and salts
faction il it can work hand in hand
with the American government on that
occasion
If in the present war the principles
which should be the ideal of the fur
ture have been trayersed more and
more, the longer its duration, the Ger
man government has no guilt therein.
1t is known to the American govern
ment how Germany's adyersaries, by
completely paralyzing peaceable traf-
flc between Germany and neutral coun-
tries, have aimed from the very be-
ginning and with increasing lack OF
consideration at the destruction, not
SO much of the armed forces as the
life Of the German nation, repudiating
in doing On all fha rules of intprnatiOn-