The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-05-19
GERMANY'S REPLY TO
THE AMERICAN NOTE
LIKELY BREAK BETWEEN THE
TWO COUNTRIES WILL
BE AVERTED.
SUB COMMANDERS NOTIFIED
That Neutral Vessels in Naval War
Zone viii Not Be Sunk Without
Warning and Without Saving
Life Unless Attempt to Escape.


be aYerted.
The official text of the German note
was made public Sunday by the state
department. A slight difference in
the text occurs in that paragraph
where the unofficial version says Ger
many has decided to make further
concessions, adapting the methods OF
submarine warfare to the interests OF
neutrals."
Salient points of Germanys reply to
the United States note on submarine
warfare;
The German government notifies the
government of the United States that
German naval forces have received the
following order:
In accordance with the general
principles of visit and search and in
the destruction Of merchant vessels,
recognized by international law, such
vessels, both within and without the
area declared a naval war zone, shall
not be sunk without warning and with
out saving human lives, unless the
ship attempts to escape or offer re-
siStanCe."
Places upon the United States the
blame if relations between the two
governments are broken.
Declares "neutrals can not expect
that Germany, forced to fight for ex'
istence, shall, for the sake of neutral
interests, restrict the use of an eff
fective weapon If the enemy is per-
mitted to continue at will methods. OF
warfare violating rules of information
al law"
Tactily demands that "the United
States now demand and insist that the
British government shall forthwith
observe the rules of international law
=" as laid down in previous
notes from the United States to Great
Britain.
Reserves to the German government
complete liberty Of new decision
should Great Britain fail to comply to
the principles set forth In the notes
mentioned.
"The German government can not
but reiterate its regret that the senti-
ments of humanity which the govern
ment of the United States applied to
the unhappy victims Of submarine war
fare are not extended with the same
warmth OF feeling to many millions Of
women and children who, according to
the avowed intentions of the British
government, shall be starved = -"
THE German people is under the
impression that the government Of the
United States, while demanding that
Germany, struggling for existence,
shall restrain the use of an effective
weapon and while making compliance
with these demands a condition for
maintenance of relations with Ger
many, confines itself to protests
against illegal methods adopted by
Germany's enemies"
Accordingly, the German govern
ment is confident that in consequence
of the new orders issued to the naval
forces, the government of the United
States will also now consider all i'm
pediments removed which may have
been in the way Of mutual cooperation
toward restoration Of the freedom Of
the seas during the war, as suggested
In the note Of July %, 1915, and it does
not doubt that the government of the
United States will now demand and in
sist that the British government shall
forthwith observe the rules of interna-
tional law universally recognized be-
fore the war, as are laid down in the
notes presented by the government Of
the United States to the British gov.
eminent December %, 1914, and No
vember 5, 1915.
Should steps taken by the govern
ment of the United States not attain
the object it desires, to have the laws
of humanity followed by the belliger-
ent nations, the German government
would then be facing new situation
in which 1t must reserve to itself COM
plete liberty of decision.
ut will, therefore, be understood
that the appeal made by the govern
ment of the United States to senti.
ments of humanity and principles of
international law can not under the
circumstances meet the same hearty
response from the German people
which such an appeal always is GER
tain to find here. If the German gov.
eminent nevertheless is resolved to
90 to the utmost limit of concessions
it has been guided not alone by the
friendship connecting the two great
nations for over hundred years, but
also by the thought Of the great doom
which threatens the entire world
Texas Items Are Retained.
Washington.-The rivers and har.