The state herald., 1916-05-19
REPLY TO BERLIN NOTE.
OBSERVANCE OF NEW ORDERS
TO PREVENT SEVERANCE,
Germany Told Safety of American
Lives Cannot Be Made. Conditional
on Way England Prosecutes War.

western Newspaper Union News Service
MISUNDERSTANDING is the text
OF the note cabled by Secretary Ian.
sing to Ambassador Gerard at Berlin
with instructions to deliver 1t to the
German minister of foreign affairs:
The note of the imperial German
government under date OF Nav a iais
mas received careful consideration by
the government of the United States
IL is especially noted as indicating tho
purpose of the imperial government aa
TO the future, that 1t Is prepared To
DO It's utmost to confine the operation
OF the war for the rest of its duration
to the fighting forces of the beiliger-
ents,' and that It IL determined to i'm
pose upon all Its commanders at sea
the limitations of the recognized rules
OF International law. upon which the
government of the United States has
Throughout the months which have
elapsed since the imperial government
announced. on Feb. 4. 1916, It's sub
the government of the United States
strained by motives OF friendship in
II. patient efforts to bring to an anil
cable settlement the critical questions
arising from that policy.
accepting the imperial govern
ments declaration of its abandonment
Of the policy which has SO seriously
the two countries, the government of
the United States will rely upon y
scrupulous execution henceforth of the
now altered policy Of the imperial gov
ernment such as will remove the prin-
cipal danger to an interruption OF the
good relations existing between the
United States and Germany.
The government of the United
States feels It necessary to state that
II takes 1t for granted that the i'm
perial German government does not
intend to imply that the maintenance
OF Its newly announced policy IL In
| any way contingent upon the course
of diplomatic negotiations between the
government of the United States and
any other belligerent government. not
withstanding the fact that certain pas
ages of the imperial governments note
| Of the tth inst. might appear to be
SUSCEPTIBLE of that construction.
,o..I,,. In order hSweysr, ,, to ayoid any
ernment of the United States notifies
the imperial government that II can
| not for u moment entertain, much less
the 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
other government affecting the rights
| Of neutrals and noncombatants. Re-
sponsibility In such matters istsingle,
not Joint; absolute. not relative"
|
after the note was on Its way to Ber-
| lin. follows:
"Ths greater part Of the German
answer Is devoted to matters which
the German Eovernment. The only
oussed with that government are
those arising out of It's action or out
Of our own and In no event those ques-
tions which are tho subject of dipio-
matte exchanges between the United
| States and any other country.
''The essence Of the answer 10 that
Germany Yields to our representations
With regard to tn: rights Of merchant
seas. and engages to observe the REQ
ognized rules of international law
governing naval warfare In using her
submarines against merchant shiPs So
policy we can have no reason to quar-
rel with her on that score. though ths
losses resulting from the violation Of
American rights by German submarine
eommnnders operating under the ,orm-
while our differences with Great
Britain cannot form a subject Of dis
cussion with Germany. II should be
stated that In our dealings with the
we are unquestionably bound to ast Ia
view OF tho explicit treaty engage
| mentA with that government We
have treaty obligations ~ TO- the man
ner In which matters In dispute be-
tween the two governments are to be
handled.
I'VE offered to assume mutually
similar obligations with Germany, but
the offer was declined. When. how
tinuing menace to American lives II 10
doubtful whether such obligations ap-
| ply unless the menace In removed dur
Ing the pendency of the proceedings" :"