Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-01-20
GERMAN SAILORS
WILL Be AVENGED
Berlin Rejects Grey's Proposal
to Submit BaraIona Atrocity
to Court of American
Officers.

Berlin. Jan. II, (py wireless to Say
Nille).-lE its reply to the British gov
in the Baralong case. the text
OF which was made public here today,
Germany takes the ground that Great
Britain no longer desires to observe the
requirements of international law In
regard to German submarines, and
breaks off negotiations on his subject.
In addition TO announcing it's decision
TO take measures OF rcprisal, the Ger
man government rejects Great Britain's
proposal for examination by a neutral
BOARD OF the Baralong incident and
aIso OF the three cases in which it
is charged Germany violated interna-
tlonal law IN submarine operations.
The British government answered
lhe German memorandum in the Bara-
long case by expressing doubts on tho
one hand of the correctness of the facts
communicated by the German govern
ment, n by making an accusation ON
the other hand against German mill
tary and naval forces of having DELHI
erately committed countless crimes
against international law and human
1ty, which had been unpublished, md,
compared with which the alleged Of
tense of the captain and crew Of the
Baralong, fades into insignificance.
h British government has con-
tented itself with mentioning without
any evidence three incidents in con-
nection with naval warfare in which
German officers are alleged to have
committed atrocities in violation of in
ternational law. The British govern
ment proposes an investigation of
these cases by a court composed OF
American naval officers, under this
condition is ready to submit the Bara-
long case to the am court.
Germany Denies Charges.
The German government protests
most sharply against the u~nprecedent-
ed and unprovoked accusations of the
British government in regard to the
German army and navy and the i'm
putation that the German authorities
have not dealt with any such crimes
as have come to their attention.
The German army and navy in this
war observe the principles Of %interna-
fional law and humanity, and the high
er authorities insist that in the event
offenses are committed they shall
investigated most closely ard pun
shed sternly.'
The three cases mentioned BIZ the
British government were investigated
thoroughly at the time by competent
authorities.
First, in the case Of the sinsing OF
the Arabic by a German submarine, the
investigation showed that the subma-
rine commander was forced from cir
cumstance to draw the conclusion that
the ship was attempting TO ram his
craft. He. therefore, believed himself
as acting in justifiablc self defense
when he attacked the ship.
The second case mentioned, the at
tack of a German destroyer upon a
British submarine, occurred in this
manner:
"a fight developed in those waters
between two warships in which the
submarine defended itself by gunfire.
The British government can have lit
tie ground for advancing the charge
that Danish neutrality was violated by
the German attack in view Of the fact
that British naval forces in a series OF
cases attacked German ships in neu-
trail waters.
Justified. They Claim.
FINALLY, in the case of the destruc-
ton of the British steamer Reul. the
German submarine merely applied
measures of reprisal announced by
measures are in harmony with inter
rational law, because England is en-
deavoring by illegal means to tie up
Tie legitimate maritime be-
tween Germany and neutral countries,
to cut off Germany from all imports
and thereby starve the German people.
Appropriate reprisals are permissible
against measures in violation OF inter-
national law.
I'm all three cases the German naval
forces intended only to destroy hostile
ships, and in no way lost any helpless
persons who We're attempting to save
their lives. The assertions to the con-
trary by the British government must
be r~epudiated with all d-ecisiveness as