Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1916-05-17
THREATENS BREAK
IF GERMANS FAIL
TO KEEP COMPACT
Presidents New Note Warns
Berlin.
MUST OBSERVE SEA POLICY
Wilson Accepts Pledge of Lawful Sub
sea Warfare, But Rejects Condi-
tions Demanding lntercession
With Britain on Blockade.

With Britain on Blockade.
Washington, May 1O.-Presldent
Wilson in a formal note dispatched on
Monday to Berlin has accepted as
meeting his demand the announced
change in Germany's submarine pol
icy.
Coupled with this acceptance 10 a
yelled threat that diplomatic relations
will be severed unless the new orders
issued by the German admiralty are
scrupulously observed.
The president further notifies Ger
many that this government will not
for a moment entertain, much less dis
cuss, the suggestion that respect Dy
German naval authorities for Amerl-
can rights upon the high seas should
lin any way or in the slightest de-
gree" be made contingent upon the
conduct of any other government az
fecting the rights of neutrals and nom
combatants.
The presidents reply absolutely
commits the United States to a rup-
ture of diplomatic relations should
German commanders exceed the Inn
itations of the recognized rules OF IN
ternational law admitted and declared
by their government.
Following is the text of the reply
of the United States to the latest
German assurances regarding the con-
duct of submarine warfare:
The American ambassador in Ber-
lin has been instructed by telegraph
to deliver the following note to the
German minister of foreign affairs:
The note of the German imperial
government under date of May 4, 1916,
has received careful consideration by
the government of the United States.
1t is especially noted, as indicating
the purpose of the imperial govern
ment as to the future, that it is pre-
pared to do it's utmost to contlne the
operations of the war for the rest OF
it's duration to the fighting forces or
the belligerents, and that it is deter
mined to impose upon all it's comman-
ognized rules of international law up
on which the government OF the Unit
ed States has insisted. Throughout
the months which have elapsed since
the imperial government announced
on February A, 1915, it's submarine
policy, now happily abandoned, the
government of the United States has
been constantly guided and restrained
by motives of friendship in it's patient
efforts to bring to an amicable settle
ment the critical questions arising
from that policy. Accepting the i'm
perial governments declaration OF its
abandonment of the policy which has
so seriously menaced the good rela-
lions between the two countries, the
government of the United States will
rely upon a scrupulous execution
henceforth of the now altered policy
of the imperial government, such as
will remove the principal 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
it takes for granted that the imperial
government does not intend to imply
that the maintenance of it's newly an
nounced policy is in any way contin-
gent upon the course or result of dip
lomatic negotiations between the gov
eminent of the United States and any
other belligerent government, notwith-
standing the fact that certain pas
sages in the imperial government
note of the 4th instant might appear
to be susceptible of that construction.
In order, however, to avoid any pos
sible misunderstanding the govern
ment of the United States notifies the
imperial government that it cannot for
a moment entertain, much less dis
cuss, suggestion that respect by
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
contingent upon the conduct Of any
other government affecting the rights
of neutral and noncombatants. Re-
sponsibility in such matters is single,
not joint; absolute, not relative"