The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1916-05-12
REPLY
TO GERMAN NOTE
DECLARATION OF ABANDONMENT
OF FORMER SUBMARINE POLICY
ACCEPED IN GOOD FAITH.
imperial Government is Notified That
tho Dispute With Great Britain
Has No Bearing Upon
the Matter.

Washington. = President Wilson's
reply to the German note, cabled by
Secretary Lansing to Ambassador Ger
ard at Berlin on May 8, informs the
German government that the United
States accepts its declaration Of
abandonment of it's former submarine
policy and now relies upon scrupu-
lous execution Of the altered policy to
remove the principal danger of an in
terruption OF the good relations exist
Ing between the two countries"
With this acceptance is coupled for
NAL notice to Germany that the Unit
ed States cannot for moment enter
tain, much less discuss, a suggestion
that respect by German naval author
tiles of the rights of citizens of the
United States on the high seas should
in the slightest degree be made con-
tingent upon the conduct of any other
government affecting the rights of
neutrals and noncombatants
Following is the text of the note:
"The note of the imperial German
government under date of May l, 1916,
has received careful consideration by
the government of the United States.
1t Is especially noted, as indicating the
purpose of the imperial government as
to the future, that it is prepared to
do its utmost to confine the operation
of the war for the rest of it's duration
to the fighting forces of the belliger-
ents,' and thai it is determined to i'm
q m
the limitations of the recognized rules
of international law upon which the
government of the United States has
insisted.
Throughout the months which
have elapsed since the imperial gov
eminent announced on February 4,
1915, its submarine policy, now hap
PLY abandoned, the government of the
Unit.l> States has been constantly
guided and restrained by motives of
friendship in its patient efforts to
bring to an amicable settlement the
critical questions arising from that
policy. Accepting the imperial gov
ernment's declaration of its abandon
ment of the policy which has SO seri-
ously menaced the good relations be-
tween the two countries, the govern
ment of the United States will rely
upon scrupulous execution hence
forth of the now altered policy of the
imperial government such as will re-
move the principal danger to an in
terruption of the good relations exist
ing 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
perial government does not intend to
imply that the maintenance of its
newly announced policy is in any
way contingent upon the course or re-
suit of diplomatic negotiations be-
tween the government of the United
States and any other belligerent gov
ernment, Notwithstanding the fact that
certain passages in the imperial gov
ernment's note of the fourth instant
might appear to be susceptible of that
construction. In order, however, to
avoid any possible misunderstanding
the government of the United States
notifies the imperial government that
1t cannot for moment entertain, much
less discuss, a 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 slightest degree be made contin-
gent upon the conduct Of any other
government affecting the rights of
neutrals and noncombatants. Respon-
sibility in such matters is single, not
Joint; absolute, not relative"