The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1916-05-11

Western Newspaper Union News Service
Berlin (by wireless via Sayville. N.
~. Nay 6.-F0llOwing 10 the text Of
the note OF the German government
IN reply 70 the American note respect
ing submarine warfare. delivered o.
rhursday BY Gottlisb Won Jagov. the
foreign secretary. 70 Ambassadss
Gerard:
The. undersigned. on behalf Of ths
imperial GERMAN government, has the
ambassador of tho United states.
James w. Gerard. the following reply
to the note Of April 20. regarding the
e nduct Of German submarine war;
The German government handed
over to the proper naval authorities
for early Investigation the evidence
concerning the Sussex as commnni.
States. Judging by the results that
the investigation has hitherto yielded
the German government is alive to the
possibility that ship mentioned In the
pedoed by a German submarine Is act.
ually Identical with the Sussex.
The German government begs to re-
serve further communication on the
UhtteT uHtH certain points are NBCeT-
tained, which are of decisive import
unce for establishing the facts of the
case. Should II turn out that the COM
mander was wrong in assuming the
government will not fail to draw the
consequence resulting therofrom.
The ssssex Case.
In connection with the case Of the
sussex the government Of the United
hA rrta Mt Na,h orh L. ~At
the incident Is to be considered but
one instance of a deliberate method
Of indiscriminate destruction OF YES.
sells of all sorts. nationalities and des.
The German government must em.
phaticRlly repudiate the assertion. The
German government. however. thinks
In the present stage Of affairs, more
particularly as the government OF the
United States omitted to subst antiate
the assertion by reference to concrete
facts.
The German government will only
state that 1t has imposed far-reachin9
restraints upon the use of the sum-
marine weapon. solely in consideration
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
and her allies.
The German submarine forces have
had. in fact. orders to conduct the
submarine warfare in accordance with
the general principles of visit and
vessels recognized by. international
law. the sole exception being the con-
duct of warfare against enemy trade
carried on enemy freight ships en-
Great Britain. A' with reg regard to these.
no assurances have ever been given
to the government of the United
States. No such assurances are con-
!. sa'nsS i:;.. in the declaration" of February
The German government cannot ad-
init any doubt that these orders were
given or are executed in good faith.
no kind of warfare be avoided alto
gether.
Allowances must be made in the
conduct of naval warfare against an
whether permissible or Illicit.
Rut apart from the possibility OF err
rors. naval warfare, j,ot like warfare
on land. implies unavoidable dangers
the fighting zone. Even in cases where
the naval action Is confined to ordt-
nary forms Of cruiser warfare, neu-
trail persons and goods repeatedly
come to grief.
The German government has re-
ntatedly and explicitly pointed out
the dangers from mines that have led
to the loss of numerous ships.
several proposals to the government Of
the United States in order to reduce
to a minimum for American travellers
and goods the inherent dangers of
naval warfare.
Unfortunately the government of the
United states decided not to accept the
proposals. Had 1t accepted. the gov
e,nment Of the United States would
the greater part of the attacks that
American citizens have met with in the
meantime.
The German government still stands
by its offer to come to an agreement
along these lines
Cannot Give Up the suhmar arine.
AS the German government repeat
edly declared, ii cannot dispense with
the use of the submarine weapon in
the conduct of warfare against enemy
ever, has now decided to make fur
ther concession adapting methods of
submarine war to the interests of
neutrals. In reaching this decision the
considerations which are above the
level of the disputed question.
The German government attaches no
LEES Importance to the sacred princi-
pies of humanity than the governm ant
of the United States. It again fully
takes into account that both govern
rnents for many years coODerated in
developing international law in con-
formity with these principles. the u-
timate object of which has always
been to confne warfare on-s sea and
land to armed forces of belligercnts
and safeguard as far as possible non
combatants against the horrors of
war.
But although these considerations
are of great weight. they alone would
not under present circumstances have
determined the attitude of the Ger
man government.
For an answer to the 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
more. with all emphasis, that /. was
not the German. but tho British gov
ell lnment which ignored all accepted
rules of international law and extend
ed this terrible war to the lives and
property of non combat ants. having