Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-03-03
BERLIN'S NOTE TO U. S.
GERMANY CANNOT WARN ARMED
MERCHANTMEN.
Text of Message From Kaiser. Made
Public at Washington, Renews
Pledges.

Washington, March THE memoir.
andum of the German government on
the subject of armed merchantmen.
delivered to Secretary OF State Ian.
sing by Count Won Bernstorff. the Ger
man ambassador, follows:
The imperial government reiter-
ates the pledges given on September
l and October 5, 1915, and does not
consider that these assurances have
been modified by subsequent events.
The negotiations conducted between
the American and German govern.
ments concerning the Lusitania Incl
dent never referred to armed mer-
chantmen
On the contrary, the note of the
American government of May Is
spoke expressly O. unarmed mer-
chantmen. Furthermore, the for
mula agreed upon by both govern
ments on September / contained the
proviso, provided that they do not Of
fer resistance.
The presence of armament on
board a merchantmen creates the
presumption that the vessel intends
to offer resistance A submarine
commander cannot possibly warn an
enemy liner if the liner has the right
to fire upon the submarine. 1t is OBJ
vious that such resistance to the warn
ing by a submarine cannot be the
meaning of armed for defensive pur-
poses, even if it were universally rec
ognized that defensive armament is
permitted by international law.
This point of view was adopted
by the American government when it
requested assurances from the Italian
ambassador that the armed Italian
Vedid Verona Verdi and Verona?)
which entered the port of New York
would not fire on submarines when
warned by them.
The imperial government issued
its new orders to the German and
naval commanders after having seen
by the secret orders of the British
admiralty that the armament of Brit,
ish merchantmen is to be used for
the purpose of attack and that these
ships are not merely peaceful trad
ers, armed only for Defense British
merchantmen have, furthermore, on
several occasions attacked German or
Hungarian submarines.
They do therefore. not conform
with the assurances given by the
British government in the note of the
British ambassador in Washington of
August 25, 1914, and cannot even, ac-
cording to the legal point of view
adopted by the American government,
be regarded as peaceful traders.
IN issuing the new orders to is
naval commanders, the imperial gov
ernment believed itself to be entire
ly in accord with the American gov
eminent, which expressed similar
opinions in the proposals which it
| submitted to the entente powers. The
orders issued to the German naval
| commanders are so formulated that
enemy liners may not be destroyed
OF account of their armament unless
such armament is proved. 1t is
| therefore obvious that the imperial
government does not intend to re-
woke the pledges given September l
! and October 10, 1915.
The imperial government well
comes the intention of the American
government to bring about modus
vivendi between the helligerents with
regard to the disarmament of mer.
chantmen, but cannot see its way to
change or postpone the new orders to
its naval commanders. because the
imperial government can no longer
permit its submarines to be subject
ed to illegal attacks by armed enemy
merchantmen"