Arizona republican., 1917-03-27
UNITED STATES F[AT[Y TURNS
 DOWN TREATIES
Republican A. P. Leased N'ire]

tend these agreements.
 The note of refusal to Germany, transmitted through Dr. Paul Ritter, the Swiss minister, was made public today by the state department and discloses that this government "is ser iously considering" whether Germany's conduct has not in effect abrogated these treaties.
 The American note signed by Secre- tary Lansing follows:
 T beg to acknowledge the receipt of your note of February 10 presenting the proposals of the German govern ment for an interpretative and supple mentary agreement as to article 23 of the treaty of 1799. After due consider ation I have to inform you that the government of the United States is not disposed to look with favor upon the proposed agreement to alter or supple ment the meaning of article 23 of this treaty. This position of the govern ment of the United States which might under other conditions be different is due to the repeated violations by Ger many of the treaty of 1928 and the ar ticles of the treaties of 17S5 and 1799 revised by the treaty of 1928. It is not necessary to narrate in detail these violations for the attention of the Ger
 
 circumstances of each instance of vio- lation but I may here refer to certain of them briefly and in general terms.
 Since the sinking of the American ship William P. Frye for the carriage of cOntraband, there have been perpe- trated by the German naval forces similar unWarranted attacks upon and destruction of numerous American Ves- sels for the reason. as alleged that they were engaged in transportation of ar ticles of contraband notwithstanding and in disregard of article thirteen of the treaty of 1799 that mo such articles (of contraband) carried in the vessels or by the subjects of either party to the enemies of the other shall be deemed contraband so as to induce cOnfiscation or condemnation and a Oss of property to individuals, and that in the case of vessel stopped for ar ticles of contraband, if the master of the vessel stopped will deliver out the goods supposed to be of contraband na- ture, he shall be permitted to do it and the vessel shall be allowed to proceed on her voyage
 Tn addition to the sinking of Amer ican vessels, foreign merchant vessels carrying American citizens and Amer ican property have been sunk by Ger man submarines without warning and without adequate security for the safe | ty of the persons on board or compen- sation for the destruction of the prop erty by such action, notwithstanding i the solemn engagement of article fiji teen of the treaty of 1799 that all per sons belonging to any vessels of war public or private, who shall mOlest or insult in any manner whatever the peo- 1 pie. vessel or effect of the other party shall be responsible in their persons and property for damages and inter- ests, sufficient security for which shall be given by any commanders or private armed vessels before they are con- | missioned. and notwithstanding the further stipulation of article F of the treaty of 17S5 that the free inter- course and commerce of the subjects or citizens of the party remaining neu tral with the belligerent powers shal not be interrupted
 "Disregarding this obligation the i German government has proclaimed certain zones of the high seas in whicf 1t declared without reservation that al ships, including those of neutrals. vii
 be sunk and in those zones German submarines have in fact. in addition to this declaration, ruthlessly sunl merchant vessels and jeopardized ol destroyed the lives of American citi | Zens on board.
 Moreover, since the severence of re lations between the United States anC Germany, certain American citizens il Germany have been prevented from re moving from the country. While this il
 not violation of the terms of tn,
 treaties mentioned, it is a disregard O the reciprocal liberty of intercourse be
 tween the two countries in time O peace and cannot be taken otherwis
 than as indication of the purpose ol
 the part of the German government t
 disregard, in the event of war the simi
 lar liberty of action provided for in ar ticle twentythree of the treaty of 1799-
 the very article which it is now pro
 posed to interpret and supplement al
 most wholly iE the interests of tn . larger number of German subjects re
 siding in the United States and enjoy
 ing ln their persons or property tn l protection of the United States gov ernment.
 This article provides in effect tha merchants of either country residing il the other shall be allowed stated tim in winch to remain to settle their af fairs and to depart freely, carrying of all their effects without molestation O hlndrance and women and children. ar tisans and certain others may continu
 their respective employments and shal not be molested in their persons O
 property. It is now proposed by tn
 imperial German government to en
 large the scope of this article so as t
 grant to German subjects and German
 property remaining in the Unitet
 States in time of war the same treat ment Tn many respects as that enjoye,
 by neutral subjects and neutral proper
 ty in the United States
 Tn view of the clear violations h. the German authorities of the plail terms of the treaties in question, sol
 emnly concluded on the mutual ac knowledgement that the obligation
 hereunder sought be faithfully kept
 in view further of the disregard of tn canons of international courtesy an
 the comity of nations in the treatmen of innocent American citizens in Ger many the government of the Unite, States cannot perceive any advantag
 which would flow from further engage
 ments, even though they were merel, declaratory of international law, enter ing into with the imperial German gov
 ernment in regard to the meaning o any of the articles of these treaties O as supplementary to them. In thes circumstances. therefore the govern ment of the United States declines t. enter into the special protocol propose, by the German government"
 The German note also made publ today was regarded by officials as vir tually proposing a new treaty Nation als of either country resident in tn other would, in case of war, have beel free from interment; most would hav been entitled to remain indefinitel and those seeking to leave would hay haarn frao I'd do ,r-ith al hoi raro,o