The Holly chieftain., 1916-05-19
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
Washington.-Follo is the text
of the note cabled by Secretary Ian
sing to Ambassador Gerard at Berlin
with instructions to deliver it to the
German minister of foreign affairs:
The note of the imperial German
government under date of May 4. 1915,
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 1t is prepared to
do its utmost to confine the operation
of the war for the rest of its duration
to the fighting forces of the belltger-
ents,' and that it is determined to i'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 government
announced. on Feb. 4, 1915, its sub
marine policy, now happily abandoned,
the government of the United States
has been constantly guided and re-
strained by motives of friendship in
its patient efforts to bring to an ami
arising from that policy.
ment's declaration Of its abandonment
OF the policy which has so seriously
iiShoSSo tHe 6oou IclalioHS belWe eoH
the two countries, the government OF
the United States will rely upon
scrupulous execution henceforth of the
now altered policy of the imperial gov
ernment such as will remove the prin-
clpal danger to an interruption of the
United States and Germany
The government of the United
States feels it necessary to state that
1t takes it for granted that the i'm
perial German government does not
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
withstanding the fact that certain pas
ages of the imperial governments note
of the 4th inst, might appear to be
susceptible of that construction.
possible misunderstanding, the gov
ernment of the United States notifies
the imperial government that 1t can
not for a moment entertain, much less
discuss, a 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 noncombatants. Re-
not joint: absolute, not relative"
Mr.. Lansing's statement made public
after the note was on it's way to Ber-
lin, follows:
answer is devoted to matters which
this government cannot discuss with
the German government. The only
questions of right which can be dis
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 REQ
ognized rules of international law
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
American rights by German submarine
commanders operating under the form
er policy will have to be settled.
while our differences with Great
cussion with Germany. it 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. We
have treaty obligations as to the man
ner in which matters in dispute be-
tween the two governments are to be
handled.
I'VE offered to assume mutually
similar obligations with Germany. but
the offer was declined. When, how
ever, the subject in dispute Is con-
tinuing menace to American lives 1t is
doubtful whether such obligations APP
ply unless the menace is removed dur
ing the tendency of the proceedings"