The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-06

BERLIN (via wireless to Sayvilie,
LID. May 3.-The text of the Ger
man reply to President Wilson's CUB
marining demands rs transmitted TO
Ambassador last night by Foreign
Secretary Won JaGow follows:
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 goth, re-
garding the conduct of German SUD
marine warfare,
The German government handed
over to the proper naval authorities
for further investigation evidence con-
corning the Sussex as communicated
by the. government of the United
States. Judging by the results the
investigation hitherto yielded the Ger
man government is alive 10 the posi-
hiiiry that the ship mentioned in the
note of April 10th as torpedoed by a
German submarine is actually iden-
teal with the Sussex. The German
government hegs to reserve further
communications on the matter until
certain points are asceTtained which
are of decisive Importance for estah b.
fishing the facts of the case. Should
1t turn out that the commander was
wrong in assuming the vessel to be a
man of war, the German government
Will not fail to draw the consequences
resulting therefrom.
Denies War of, Neutrals.
In connection with the case Of the
Sussex, the government of the United
States made series of statements. the
gist of which is the assertion that the
incident is to be considered but one
instance of a deliberate method OF
ndiscriminate destruction of vessels
OF all sorts. nationalities and destina-
tons by German submarine eomman-
ders. The German government must
emphatically repudiate the assertion.
The German government, however.
thinks it -ef little avail TO enter into
the details in. the present language
OF affairs. particularly as the govern
ment of the United States omitted to
substantiate the assertion by reference
to concrete facts. The German gov
eminent will only state that 1t has
imposed far-reaching restraints upon
the use OF the submarine weapon
solely in consideration of neutrals' In
terests in spite of the fact that these
restrictions necessarily were OF ad-
vantage to Germany's enemies. No
such consideration has ever been
shown neutrals by Great Britain and
her allies.
German submarine forces have had
in fact, orders to conduct submarine
warfare in accordance with the gen.
eral principles of visit. search and
destruction of merchant vessels rec
ognized by international law. the sole
exception being the conduct of war
fare against enemy trade carried on
enemy freight ships encountered In
the war zone surrounding Great Brit
ain With regard to these no assur-
ances ever have been given to the
government of the United States. No
such assurance was contained in the
declaration of February s. 1916.
Errors Have Occurred.
The German government cannot
admit any doubt that these orders
were given and are executed in good
faith. Errors equally occurred. They
can in no kind of warfare he avoid
cd altogether and allowances must
be made in the conduct of naval war
fare against an enemy resorting 10
all kinds of ruses. whether permissi-
BILE or Illicit. But apart from the
possibility OF errors, naval warfare.
Just like land warfare. implies avoid
able dangers for neutral persons and
goods entering the 'hghting zone.
Even i'll cases where naval action is
confined to ordinary forms of cruiser
warfare neutral persons and goods
repeatedly come to grief The Ger
man government has repeatedly and
explicitly pointed out the dangers
from mines as they have led to the
loss of numerous ships.
The German government made sew
eral proposals to the government OF
the United States in order to reduce
to the minimum far American trav-
eiers and goods. the inherent dangers
of naval warfare. Unfortunately the
government of the United States de-
cided not to accept the proposals.
Had IL accepted the government OF
the United States would have been