River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-05-11


In reply to the American note respec-
ting submarine warfare, delivered by
Gottlieb Won Jagow, the foreign secret
airy, to Ambassador Gerard:
1.-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 20 regarding the
conduct of the German submarine war
fare:
Identical With Sussex.
1.-The German government handed
over to the proper naval authorities
for early investigation the evidence
concerning the Sussex as communicate
ed by the government of the United
States. Judging by the results that
the investigation has hitherto yielded,
the German government is alive to the
possibility that the ship mentioned
tOrpedoed by a German submarine is
actually identical with the Sussex.
''The German government begs to
reserve further communication on the
matter until certain points are ascer-
tanned, which are of decisive impor-
lance for establishing the facts Of the
case.
Should it turn out that the COM
mander was wrong in assuming the
vessel to be a man-of-war, the German
government will not fail to draw the
consequence resulting therefrom.
Regulates U. S. Assertion.
'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 in
discriminate destruction of vessels of
all sorts, nationalities and destinations
by German submarine commanders
"The German government must en-
phatically repudiate the assertion. The
German government, however, thinks
1t of little avail to enter into details
in present stage of affairs, more par
ticularly as the government of the
United States omitted to substantiate
the assertion by reference to concrete
facts.
Has Imposed Restraint.
1.-THE German government will only
state that it has imposed far-reaching
restraints upon the use of the sub
marine weapon, solely in consideration
of neutrals' interests, in spite of the
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 sub
marine warfare in accordance with the
general principles of visit and search
and the destruction of merchant YES
sells recognized by international law,
the sole exception being the conduct
of warfare against enemy trade car
ried on enemy freight ships encoun-
tered in the war zone surrounding
Great Britain.
Has Given No Assurances.
with regard to these, no assurances
have ever been given to the govern
ment of the United States. No such
assurances are contained in the declar-
alton of February 8, 1916.
The German government cannot
admit any doubt that these orders
were given or executed in good faith.
Errors actually occurred They can
in no kind be avoided altogether AL
lowances must be made in the con.
duct of naval Warfaro against an enc.
my resorting to all kinds of ruses
whether permissible or illicit.
Implies Dangers For NeutraIs.
But apart from the possibility OF
errors, naval warfare just like war
fare on land, implies unavoidable
dangers for neutral persons and goods
entering the fighting zones. Even in
cases where the naval action is con
fined to ordinary forms of cruiser
warfare, neutral persons and goods re
peatedly come to grief
The German government has re
peatedly and explicitly pointed out
the dangers from mines that have
led to the loss of numerous ships.
v. S. Blamed For Accidents"
THE German government has made
several proposals to the government
of the United States in order to re
duce to a minimum for American trav
elers and goods the inherent dangers
of naval warfare. Unfortunately, the
government of the United States de
cided not to accept the proposals. Had
it accepted, the government Of the
United States would have been instru
mental in preventing the greater par
of the accidents that American citi
zens have met with III the meantime
THE German government still stand:
by its offer to come to an agreement
along these lines.