Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-05-12
PRESIDENT NOTIFIES GERMANY
THAT NEW SEA POLICY MUST
BE OBSERVED.
NO FARLEY WITH BRITAIN
Refuses to Consider Suggestion of
Making England obey Law of the
Seas-Break Promised If Berlin
Fails to Keep Compact.

WdSnluSIOu, May 1U.-TT0Slu0ut VIII
son in a formal note dispatched on
Monday to Berlin has accepted as
meeting his demand the announced
change in Germany's submarine policy.
Coupled with this acceptance is
yelled threat that diplomatic relations
will be severed unless the new orders
issued by the German admiralty are
scrupulously observed.
The president further notifies Ger
many that this government will not
for a moment entertain, much less dis
cuss, the suggestion that respect by
German naval authorities for Ameri-
can rights upon the high seas should
"in any way or in the slightest de-
gree" be made contingent upon the
conduct of any other government af-
fecting the rights of neutrals and non
combatants.
The presidents reply absolutely
commits the United States to a rup-
ture of diplomatic relations should
German commanders exceed the linn
itations of the recognized rules OF in
ternational law admitted and declared
by their government.
Following is the text of the reply
of the United States to the latest
German assurances regarding the con-
duct of submarine warfare:
The American ambassador in Ber-
lin has been instructed by telegraph
to deliver the following note to the
German minister of foreign affairs:
"The note of the German imperial
government under date of May 4, 1915,
has received careful consideration by
the government of the United States.
1t is especially noted, as indicating the
purpose of the imperial government as
to the future, that it is prepared to
do it's utmost to confine the operations
of the war for the rest of its duration
to the fighting forces Of the belliger-
ents,' and that it is determined to i'm
pose upon all it's commanders at sea
the limitations of the recognized rules
of international law upon which the
government of the United States has
insisted. Throughout the months
which have elapsed since the imperial
| government announced on February
4, 1915, it's submarine policy, now hap
PLY abandoned, the government OF the
United States has been constantly
guided and restrained by motives of
| friendship in its patient efforts to
bring to an amicable settlement the
critical questions arising from that pol
icy. Accepting the imperial govern
| ments declaration of it's abandonment
of the policy which has so seriously
menaced the good relations between
the two countries, the government of
the United States will rely upon a
scrupulous execution henceforth of the
now altered policy of the imperial gov
| eminent, such as will remove the prin-
cipal danger to an interruption OF the
good relations existing between the
United States and Germany.
1.-THE government of the United
| States feels it necessary to state that
It takes for granted that the imperial
government does not intend to imply
| that the maintenance Of it's newly an
nounced policy is in any way contin-
gent upon the course or result of dip
lomatic negotiations between the gov
eminent of the United States and any
other belligerent government, notwith-
standing the fact that certain pas
sages in the imperial governments
note of the 4th instant might appear
to be susceptible of that construction.
In order. however, to avoid any pos
sible misunderstanding, the govern
ment Of the United States notifies the
imperial government that it cannot for
moment entertain, much less dis
cuss, a suggestion that respect by
German naval authorities for the
rights of citizens of the United States
upon the high seas should in any way
or in the slightest degree be made
contingent upon the conduct Of any
other government affecting the rights
| of neutral and noncombatants. Re-
sponsibility in such matters is single,
not joint; absolute, not relative"