The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-05-11
BREAK
IF GERMANS FAIL
PRESIDENTS NEW NOTE WARNS
BERLIN GOVERNMENT
MUST OBSERVE SEA POLICY
Wilson Accepts Pledge Of Lawful Sub
sea Warfare, but Rejects Condi-
tions Demanding Intercession
With Britain on Blockade.

With Britain on Blockade.
Washington, May 9.-President VIII
son in a formal note dispatched to
Berlin has accepted as meeting his de-
mand the announced change in Ger
many's submarine policy.
Coupled with this acceptance Is q
yelled threat that diplomatic relations
will be severed unless the new orders
issued by the German admiralty are
scrupulously observed.
Spurns German Plan.
The president further notifies Ger
many that this government will not
for moment entertain, much less dis
cuss, the suggestion that respect by
German naval authorities for Amer
lean 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 rup-
ture Of diplomatic relations should
German commanders exceed the linn
| itations of the recognized rules of in
ternattonal law admitted and declared
by their government.
Would Dismiss Envoy.
! In other words, should a German
submarine fail to observe the rule OF
visit and search in the case of
vessel having American citizens on
board and should DESTROY the ship
without warning, the president will be
forced after establishing the facts, to
dismiss Count Won Bernstorff. the
German ambassador. and recall Am
bassador Gerard this without further
parley with the Berlin authorities.
Text Of Note to Germany.
Washington, May 9.-Following Is
the text of the reply Of the United
} States to the latest German assurances
regarding the conduct of submarine
warfare:
The American ambassador in Ber-
, lin has been instructed today by tele-
: graph to deliver the following note to
4 the German minister of foreign az
3 fairs:
} The note of the German imperial
government under date Of May 4, 1916.
! has received careful consideration by
2 the government of the United States.
, It is especially noted, as indicating the
, purpose of the imperial government as
: to the future. that it lis prepared to
i; do It's utmost to COntine 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
2 which have elapsed since the imperial
) government announced on February
b 4, 1915, its submarine policy, now hap
20 PLY abandoned, the government of the
y United States has been constantly
guided and restrained by motives of
, friendship in it's patient efforts to
= bring to an amicable settlement the
critical questions arising from that pol
: Icy. Accepting the imperial govern
= ment's declaration of its 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
e now altered policy of the imperial gov.
I.
cipal danger to an interruption of the
good relations existing between the
United States and Germany.
The government of the United
| 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 its
newly announced policy is in any way
contingent upon the course or result
, of diplomatic negotiations between the
, government of the United States and
any other belligerent government, not
withstanding the fact that certain pas
= sages in the imperial governments
t note of the 4th instant might appear
= to be susceptible of that construction
u In order, however. to avoid any pos
:, sible misunderstanding, the govern
I -ment of the United States notifies the
). imperial government that it cannot fol
}. a moment entertain, much less dis
e cuss. a suggestion that respect by
/, German naval authorities for the
d 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 right,
/, of neutral and noncombatants. Re
). sponsibility in such matters is single
d not joint; absolute, not relative.
:.
,, ... E.N. ....