The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-06-02
WOULD ESTABLISH FACT BASIS
GERMAN FOREIGN SECRETARY
EXPLAINS NOTE TO AMEII-
CA.
Says That Issues Involved Are OF Such
Importance That Common Basis OF
Fact ShopmId he Reached Before
Final Answer IL Given.

correspondent of the Assoc Ociated Press
and outlined the reasons which i'm
PEELED the German government to send
an ad interim note to the United States
government instead of a final and
defiite reply to the America repre-
sentations recording the Lusitania and
other ships that have been torpedoed,
and Germans submarine policy.
THE issues involved" said Herr
Won Jagow, ARE of such importance,
and the views in regard to the Lusi-
tania show such variance, that the
German government believed it essen
tial to ATTEMPT to establish com,
mon basis of fact before entering. into
a discussion of the issues involved.
I'VE hope and trust that the Ameri-
can government will take the same
view of the case and let us know in
what points the understanding of the
facts differ from the German view
point as set forth in the note and in
what points they agree, before looking
for direct answer to their commune
cation.
'"The America note, of courst :,
leaves the way open for a preliminary
discussion Of the situation as sug-
gested in the German onte hope
that such a common basis Of fact
once established may serve as the
ground work for further conversa-
tions."
The minister was unwilling to give
q more definite outline to, or to COM
ment on the suggestion that an ar
rangement might be reached on a
basis Of an inspection and certifica-
ton by the American government OF
passenger ships not carrying war car
goes, pointing out that he did not
feel entitled to anticipate, as the othev
departments Of the governments must
be heard before suggestions could be
definitely taken up or discussed.
DR.. Won JagOw expressed pleasure
at the newspaper announcement that
American line steamers were not car
rying cOntrabad, but he suggested the
advisability OF supplemeting such
newspaper statements by more definite
authoritative announcements.
Replying to question, DR.. Won
Jagow said Germany at the outset
had been willing to abandon her sub
marine war against merchantmen in
response 70 return by Great Britain
to the regulation OF war regarding
contraband generally accepted befoi e
the war, the specific condition being
the lifting Of the embargo on food
stuffs and raw materials now on the
list Of conditional contra band 1t was
aims, he said. that the we'll meant
proposals of the United States for a
compromise failed.
THE question of foodstuffs and raw
materials DR.. Won Jagow said, is
not question Of necessity for Ger
many, but one Of principle. Germany
has shown, l think, that 1t can. not be
starved out by Great Britain's en-
barge on foodstuffs. We may be q
little short of some or another par
ticular food product, but we have
enough to live on and keep up the
struggle.
THE same is true of raw materials,
with which, according to the London
declaration, belligerents have no right
to interfere when they are not spe-
cifically destined to the armed forces
Of an enemy. Germany is able to get
along, even If the imports of such
materials are cut off. Germany. how
ever, objects to the cool assumption
of the British cabinet that when it is
unable to defeat the German armies
legitimately on the battlefield it is en-
titled to try 10 force the nation to its
knees by economic pressure, disre-
garding all accepted precepts and
regulations OF war.
The analogy of the besieged
fortress does not apply TO Germany.
The resident who settled in a fortress
does so cognizant OF the risk and
aware that he can leave before the
siege begins; but there is no prece-
| dent for the siege Of the civilian pop
ulation of a whole nation in it's own
land. with no possibility of escape.
Germany will fight such an unjustili III
method of war with all the means at
her disposal"
DR.. Won JagOw said he had abso-
lutely no information regarding the