Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-05-06
COMPLETE TEXT
Of NOTE SENT
BY Won JAC0W
Note Plays Great Britain Against
United States in Long
Argument.
CONCESSIONS MADE BY
IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT
New Instructions Are Sent to
All Commanders Of German
Submarines.

Berlin, by wireless via Sayville, N.
Y, May 5.-,FOllowing is the text OF
the note of the German government
in reply to the American note re-
specting submarine warfare delivered
on Tuesday 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 excellency, the
ambassador Of the United States, Mr..
James w. Gerard. the following reply
to the note Of April 20, regarding the
conduct of German submarine war
fare:
"The German government handed
over to the proper naval authorities
for early investigation the evidence
concerning the Sussex as communi-
Gated by the government of the Unit
ed States Judging by results that
the investigation has hitherto yield.
ed, the German government is alive
to the possibility that the ship men,
toned in the note as having been tor
pedoed by German submarine is act
| Aally identical with the Sussex.
"The German government begs to
reserve further communication on the
| matter until certain points are ascer-
| tanned, which are of decisive import
ance for establishing the facts Of tho
case. Should it turn ont that the. COM
mander was wrong in assuming the
vessel to be manof-War, the Ger
man government will not fail to draw
consequence resulting therefrom.
"In connection with the case of the
Sussex the government of the United
States made series Of statements,
he giSt of which is the assertion that
The incident is TO be considered but
one instance OF Il deliberate method
of indiScriminatc destruction Of YES
sells of all sorts. naliOnalilies and dis
tinctiOnS by German submarine com
mandcrS.
"'rhc German government most en-
phatically repudiatcs the assertion.
The German government, however,
thinks il Of little avail to enter into
details in the present stage OF affairs,
more particularly as the government
Of the United States omitted to sub.
Staniatc the assertion by reference
to concrete facts.
"rhc German government Will only
state that it has imposed far-reaching
restraints upon the use of the snbma-
rine weapon, solely in consideration
of ncutralS' 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 Brit
ain and her allies.
international Law.
"Thc German submarine forces
have had, in fact, orders to conduct
submarine warfare in accordance with
the general principles of visit and
search and the destruction of mer-
chant vessels recognized by interna.
tiOnal law, the sole exception being
the conduct of warfare against enemy
trade carried on enemy freight ships
encountered in the war zone sur
rounding Great Britain. With regard
to these, no assurances have ever
been given to the government of the
United States. No such assurances
are contained in the declaration OF
February 8, 1916.
"The German government cannot
admit any doubt that these orders
were given or are executed in good
faith. Errors actually occurred. They
can in no kind of warfare against an
enemy resorting to all kinds of ruses,
whether permissible or illicit.
Neutral Rights.
"Eut apart from the possibility OF
errors, naval warfare, just like war
fare on land, implies unavoidable dan
gers for neutral persons and goods
entering the fighting zone. Even in
cases where the naval action is con-
fined to ordinary forms of cruiser
warfare, neutral persons and goods
repeatedly come to grief.
"The German government has re.
peatedly and explicitly pointed out
the dangers of mines that have led to
the loss of numerous ships.
"The German government has made
several proposals to the government
of the United States in order to re-
duce the minimum for American trav-
elers and goods the innocent dangers
of naval warfare Unfortunately, the
government of the United States de-
cided not to accept the proposals. Had
it accepted the government of the
United States would have been instru-
mental in preventing the greater part
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