The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-05-19
ANSWER SENT To
GENMANY'S NOTE
UNITED STATES ACCEPTS GER
NANY'S DECLARATION OF ABAN.
COMMENT OF SUB POLICY.
TO AWAIT FyLF!!LMEN7
American Government Informs Ger
man Government it viii Not Discuss
British Bfockade-look to. Ger
many to Keep Promise.

Washington.- note cabled by Sec
retary of State Lansing to Ambassa
dor Gerard Monday for delivery to the
Berlin foreign office informs the Ger
man government that the United
| States accepts its declaration Of
! abandonment" of its former subma
rine policy and now relies upon
scrupuIous execution of the altered
policy to remove the principal danger
of interruption of good relations exist
ing between the two countries.
With the acceptance is coupled the
formal notice to Germany that the
United States can not for moment
entertain, much less discuss, sugges
ton that respect by German naval au
thorities of the rights of citizens OF
the United States on the high seas
should in the slightest degree be made
contingent upon the conduct of any
other government affecting the rights
Of neutrals and noncOmbatants. This
is in reply to the concluding statement
in the last German note to the effect
that while submarine commanders
have been ordered to sink no peaceful
freight or passenger-carrying ships
without warning or without safety for
passengers and crew, the German gov
eminent would reserve to itself COM
plete liberty OF decision unless the
United States was successful in it's ef'
forts to break the British blockade.
Following is the text of the note
cabled to Ambassador Gerard at Ber-
lin with instructions to deliver 1t to
the German minister Of foreign az
fairs:
THE note of the imperial German
government under date Of May 4, 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 its duration to
the fighting forces of the belligerents
and that it is determined to impose
upon all its commanders at sea the
limitations of the recognized rules Of
international law upon which the gov
eminent of the United States has In
sisted.
Throughout the months which have
elapsed since the imperial government
announced on February 4, 1915, its
submarine policy now happily aban-
doned, the government of the United
States has been constantly guided and
restrained by motives of friendship in
Its patient efforts to bring to an AMIGA.
BILE settlement the critical questions
arising from that policy. Accepting
the imperial governments declaration
of its abandonment of the policy which
has so seriously menaced the good re-
lations between the two countries, the
government of the United States will
rely upon scrupulous execution
henceforth Of the now altered policy
of the imperial government such as
will remove the penal danger to an in
corruption Of good relations existing
between the United States and Ger
many.
"The government Of the United
States feels II necessary to state that
1t takes 1t 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
or result Of diplomatic relations be-
tween the governments of the United
States and other belligerent govern
ments, Notwithstanding the fact that
certain passages in the imperial gov
ernments note OF the 4th instant
might appear to be susceptible of the
construction. In order, however, to
avoid any possible misunderstanding
the government of the United States
notifies the imperial government that
1t can not for a moment entertain,
much less discuss, suggestion that
respect by German naval authorities
for the rights of citizens of the Unit
ed 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.
Responsibility in such matters is sin.
gle, not Joint; absolute, not relative"