The Ordway new era., 1916-05-12
GERMAN REPLY
0NU-BOAT POLICY.
ORDERS GIVEN NOT TO SINK
SHIPS WITHOUT WARNING
AND SAVING HUMAN LIFE.
Teutons Complain, That President
Seeks to End German Method Of
Warfare While Merely Protest
Ing Against Ensland's Viola
tlons Of Neutrality.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Berlin (by wireless via Sayville, N
W, May G.-Following is the text OF
the note of the German government,
In reply to the American note respect
ing submarine warfare, delivered on
Thursday by Gottlieb Won Jagow, the
foreign secretary, to Ambassador
Gerard: ....
The. undersigned, on behalf Of the
Imperial German government, has the
honor to present to his eNccllency, the
ambassador of the United States,
to the note of April 20. regarding the
&C nduct of German submarine war
fare:
The German government handel
over to the proper naval authorities
for early Investigation the evidence
concerning the Sussex as communi-
States. Judging by the results that
the investigation has hitherto yielded,
possibility that ship mentioned in the
| nctc of April 10 as having been tor
pedoed by a German submarine is act
naliy Identical with the Sussex.
The German government bcgs to re-
serve further communication on the
matter until certain points are ascer-
tanned: which are of decisive import
case. Should it turn out that the com
mandcr was wrong in assuming the
vessel to be a man Of war. the German a
consequence resulting therefrom.
The Sussex Case.
In connection with the case Of the
Sussex the government OF the United
States made n series of statements
the gist of which Is the assertion that
the incident Is to be considered but
one instance Of deliberate method
of indiscriminatc destruction of yes
| sells of all sorts, nationalities and des-
tinations by German submarine COM
manders.
phatically repudiate the assertion. The
German government, however, thinks
It of little avail to enter into details
in the present stage of affairs, more
particularly MS the government OF the
United States omitted to substnntiate
the assertion by reference to concrete
facts.
| The German government will only
state that 1t has imposed far-reaching
restraints upon the. use of the sum
| of neutrals' interests. in spite of the
| fact that these restrictions are .neces.
sarily of advantage to Germany's enc
mics. No such consideration has ever
been shown neutrals by Great Britain
The German submarine forces have
had, in fact. orders to conduct the
submarine warfare in accordance with
the general principles of visit and
search and the destruction of merchant
| vessels ny
law. the sole exception, being the con
duct of warfare against enemy trade
carried on enemy freight ships en-
Great Britain. with regard to these
| no assurances have ever been given
to the government of the United
States. No such assurances are con-
| tanned in the declaration of February
8. 1916.
nit any doubt that these orders were
| ri nt n cxccuta1 in good faith
Errors actually occurred. They can In
no kind of warfare be avoided alto
| gether.
| Allowances must be made in this
| conduct of naval warfare against az
enemy resortIng to all kinds of ruscs
whether permissible or Illicit.
| But apart from the possibility of er-
rors, naval warfare. just like warfare
| on land, implies unavoidable dangers
for neutral END ana T"oss m .ases wnrs
the naval action is confined to ordi-
nary forms of cruiser warfare. neu.
tral persons and goods repeatedly
The German government has re:
| pt ntedly and explicitly pointed out
the dangers from mines thht shins nave le9
The German government mas Inaa;
several proposals to the government oi
the um1an states for american erde ' traveers
and goods the inherent dangers o1
naval warfare.
| Un1OrtOnaIeIy tne SOVeTnIntHt VI VIZ
United states decided not to accept the
proposals. Had 1t accepted. the GOV.
| eminent of the United States would
have tss rsster bssn saa n he in attacks
American citizens have met with IN tnt
meantime.
by its offer to come to an agreement
along these lines.
Cannot Give Up the Submarine.
As the German government repeat.
the use of the submarine weapon in
| the conduct of warfare against enemy
trade. The German government. how
ther concession, adapting methods OF
| submarine war to the interests OF
neutrals. In reaching this decision the
ecnsiderations which are above the
level of the disputed question.
The German goxernmens nm aorod attaemss nrisci ne
pies Of humanity than the government
Of the United States. It again fully
takes into account that both govern
developing International law in con
formity with these principles. the ul-
innate object of which has always
land to armed forces of beiligerents
and safeguard az far as possible non
combatants against the horrors OF
But although these considerations
are of great weight. they alone would
not under present circumstances have
determined the attitude OF the Ger
"fs For sons an answer to n. appeal by the
government of the United States on
behalf Of the sacred principles of hu-
manity and International law. the Ger
man government must repeat once
not the German, but the British gov
eli nment which ignored all accepted
rules of international law and extend .
property of non-combatants. having
Guilty o. LibslIns Washington. 4