The Colorado statesman., 1916-05-13
REPLY TO BERLIN NOTE
OBSERVANCE OF NEW ORDERS
TO PREVENT SEVERANCE.
Germany Told Safety of American
Lives Cannot Be Made Conditional
on Way England Prosecutes War.

western Newspaper Union News Service
Neutrality-suspicious. is the text
of the note cabled by Secretary Ian
sing to Ambassador Gerard at Berlin
with instructions to deliver 1t to the
German minister of foreign affairs:
The note of the imperial German
government under date of May A. 1915,
mas received careful consideration by
the government of the United States
IL is especially noted as indicating the
purpose of the imperial government as
TO the future, that ii lis prepared to
10 lts utmost to confine the operation
OF the war for the rest of its duration
TO the lighting forces of the belliger-
ents, and that 1t Is determined to i'm
pose upon all its commanders at sea
the limitations OF the recognized rules
OF International law. upon which the
insisted.
throughout the months which have
elapsed since the imperial government
announced, on Feb. 4, 1915. its sub
marine policy, now happily abandoned,
the government of the United States
mas been constantly guided and re-
strained by motives of friendship in
its patient efforts to bring to an ami
cable settlement the critical questions
arising from that policy.
accepting the imperial govern
ments declaration of its abandonment
of the policy which has so seriously
menaced the good relations 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 gov
eminent such as will remove the prin-
cipal danger to an interruption of the
good relations existing between the
United States and Germany.
THE government of the United
states feels 1t necessary to state that
1t takes it for granted that the i'm
intend to imply that the maintenance
of its newly announced policy is in
any way contingent upon the course
of diplomatic negotiations between the
government of the United States and
any other beiligerent government, not
withstanding the fact that certain pas
ages of the imperial governments note
susceptible of that Construction.
In order, however. to avoid any
possible misunderstanding, the gov
ernment of the United States notifies
the imperial government that 1t can
not for moment entertain, much less
discuss, suggestion that respect by
the 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 neutrals and noncomhatants. Re-
sponsibilty in such matters is single,
not joint; absolute, not relative"
Mr.. Lansing's statement made public
after the note was on Its way to Ber-
lin, follows:
1.-THE greater part of the German
answer is devoted to matters which
this government cannot discuss with
the German government. The only
questions of right which can be dis
cussed with that government are
those arising out of its action or out
of our own and in no event those ques-
| tions which are the subject of diplo-
matte exchanges between the United
| States and any other country.
The essence of the answer is that
Germany yields to our representations
| with regard to the-rights of merchant
| ships and noncombatants on the high
seas and engages to observe the rec
| governing naval warfare in using her
| submarines against merchant ships. So
| long as she lives up to this altered
| policy we can have no reason to quar-
| rel with her on that score, though the
| losses resulting from the violation of
American rights by German submarine
| commanders operating under the form
| er policy will have to be settled.
while our differences with Great
| Britain cannot form a subject of dis
cussion with Germany, 1t should be
stated that in our dealings with the
| British government we are acting as
we are unquestionably bound to act In
ments with that government
have treaty obligations as to the man
ner in which matters in dispute
tween the two governments are to be
| handled.
1--WE offered to assume mutually
similar obligations with Germany. but
the offer was declined. When, how
ever, the subject in dispute is a con-
tinuing menace to American lives 1t is
doubtful whether such obligations ap-
ply unless the menace is removed dur
ing the pendency of the proceedings.