The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-05-12
HAS NO INTENTION
|. OF ATTACKING
NEUTRAL Ships
f----
Germany Will Assume Respnnsi-
bllity For Mistakes
INVESTIGATIONS HELD AT ONCE
Declaration Regarding War Zone
About British Isles Received
BY State Department.
INVESTIGATIONS HELD AT ONCE

Washington, May 11.-Secretary
Bryan received from Ambassador
Gerard at Berlin today the text of an
official declaration by the German
Government of its policy with re-
spect to American and other neutral
ships meeting German submarines in
| the naval war zone around the Brit
| ish Isles and in the North Sea.
This declaration was handed to Mr.
| Gerard by the German Foreign Office,
which explained that 1t was being is
sued as Circular statement" in re-
gard to mistaken attacks by Ger
man submarines on commerce ves-
sells of neutral nations" 1t reads:
First-The Imperial German Gov
ernment has naturally no intention
of causing to be attacked by subma-
rines or aircraft such neutral ships
of commerce in the zone of naval
warfare. more definitely described
in the notice of the German Admiral
ty staff of Feb. last, as have been
guilty of no hostile act. On the con
trary, the most definite instructions
have repeatedly been issued to Ger
man war vessels to avoid attacks on
such SHIPS under all circumstances.
Even when such ships have contra
band of war on board they are dealt
with by submarines solely according
to the rules of International law ap-
plying to prize warfare.
Second-Should a neutral ship
nevertheless come to harm through
German submarines or aircraft on ac
count of an unfortunate (word miss
ing in dispatch) in the above men
toned zone of naval warfare, the
German Government will unreserved-
ly recognize its responsibility there
for. i'll such case it will express
its regrets and afford damages with
out first instituting prize court ac-
tion.
Third-It is the custom of the Ger
man Government as soon as the sink
ing of a neutral ship in the above
mentioned zone of naval warfare is
ascribed to German war vessels, to
institute an immediate investigation
into the cause. If grounds appear
thereby to be given for association
of such a hypothesis, the German
Navy places itself in communication
with the interested neutral Govern
ment so that the latter may also in
stitnte an investigation. If the Ger
man Government is thereby convinc-
ed that the ship has been destroyed
by Germany's war vessels it will not
delay in carrying out the provisions
of Paragraph 2 above In case the
German Government, contrary to the
viewpoint of the neutral Government
is not convinced by the result of the
investigation, the German Govern
ment has already on several occas-
ions declared itself ready to allow
the question to be decided by an in
ternational investigation commits
sion, according to Chapter 8 of The
Hague Convention of Oct. 1S, 1907,
for the peaceful solution of interna-
tional disputes.
This circular is understood to have
been rather reassuring to high of
ficials of the United States Govern
ment, although it is far from com
pleta, as it does not cover the atti-
tude of the German Government tow
ard the. treatment to be accorded to
Americans and other neutral non
combatants, men, women, and chill
dren, on board vessels flying the flag
of England, France or Russia. Tho
absence of any allusion to the princi-
pie involved in the Lusitanla case is
believed here to mean that the state
ment was prepared and was ready
for PRONUNCIATION before the destruc-
tion of the Lusitania on Friday Sew
eral days usually have been required
for messages TO come to Washington
from Ambassador Gerard by round
about cable relay route, and it is be-
lieved that this dispatch is no excep-
tion in this respect.