Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-05-12
GERMAN REPLY
ONU-B0AT POLICY
ORDERS GIVEN NOT TO SINK
SHIPS WITHOUT WARNING
AND SAVING HUMAN LIFE.
Teutons Complain That President
Seeks to End German Method Of
Warfare While Merely Protest.
ing Against Engiand's Viola
= tions Of Neutrality.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.


Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Berlin (by wireless via Sayville, N.
". May 6.-Following is the text OF
the note of the German government
in reply to the American note respect
ing submarine warfare, delivered on
Thursday by Gottlieb Won Jagow. the
foreign secretary. to Ambassador
Gerard:
imperial German government, has the
honor to present to his exceliency. the
sV James W. Gerard. the foiio@ins sSi teiS reply
to the note of April 20. regarding the
et nduct of German submarine war,
The German government handed
over to the proper naval authorities
for early investigation the evidence
Gated by the government Of the United
the Investigator has hitherto Yielded.
possibility that ship mentioned in the
ncte Of April 10 as having been tor
ped,oed by a.. T. German i, submarine is act
The German government begs to re-
serve further communication on the
matter until certain points are ascer-
ance for establishing the facts of the
case. Should II turn out that the COM
vessel to be a man Of war. the German
government will not fall to draw the
consequence resulting therefrom.
The Sussex Case.
In connection with the case of the
Sussex the government of the United
States made n series of statements.
the gist of which is the assertion that
one instance of a deliberate method
of indiscriminate destruction of yes
sells of all sorts, nationalities and des-
tinations by German submarine COM
The German government must en-
phntically repudiate the assertion. The
German government, however, thinks
It of little avail to enter into details
In the present stage of affairs. more
Untsa States as omtsS so
the assertion by reference to concrete
The German government will only
state that It has Imposed far-reaching
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
The German submarine forces have
had. in fact. orders to conduct the
the general principles of visit and
search and the destruction of merchant
vessels res by ma
duct of warfare against enemy trade
carried on enemy freight ships !, EN-, sI !,
Sritan al the With rssasS TO
no assurances have ever been given
to the government Of the United
tained in the declaration Of February
The German government cannot ad-
init any doubt that these orders were
given or are executed in good faith.
Errors actually occurred. They can In
no kind of warfare be avoided alto
Allowances must be made in the
conduct of naval warfare against an
enemy resorting to all kinds of ruses
But apart from the possibility of err
rors, naval warfare. Just like warfare
on land. implies unavoidable-dan
for neutral persons and goods entering
the fighting zone. Even in cases where
the naval action is confined to ordi
forms of cruiser saoGs nsp
come to grief
The. German government has re.
the dangers from mines that have led
to the loss of numerous ships.
The German government has made
the United States in order to reduce
to a minimum for American travellers
and goods. the Inherent dangers of
Unfortunately the government of the
United states decided not to ACCEPT the
have been instrumental in preventing
the greater part of the attacks that
American citizens have met with in the
The German government still stands
by its offer to come to an agreement
along these lines.
Cannot Give Up the Submarine.
As the German government repeat
edly declared. 1t cannot dispense with
the use Of the submarine weapon In
trade. The German government. how
ever, has now decided to make a fur
ther concession, adapting methods of
neutrais. In reaching this decision the
German @ government Is actpatsd BY
level of the disputed question.
The German government attaches no
lees Importance to the sacred princi-
oe; the Of 6nasa stass again 1ns
takes into account that both govern
ments for many years cooperated in
formity with these principles. the ul-
innate object of which has always
been to confine warfare on sea and
and safeguard as far as possible nom
combatants against the horrors of
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 hui
manity and International law. the Ger
man government must repeat once
more, with all emphasis. that 1t was
not the German. but the British gov
Ell nment which ignored all accepted
rules of international law and extend
ed this terrible war to the lives and
property of non-combat ants. having
GuIityof LIbeIing Washington.
Tacoma, Wash.-A verdict OF
guilty was returned by a Superior