Mohave County miner. [volume] (Mineral Park, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1882-1918, 1917-02-10
SPAIN'S REPLY
TO GERMANYS
U-BOAT NOTE

MADRID (via Paris), Feb. S.-The
text of the reply of Spain to Ger
many's notification of unrestricted
submarine warfare follows:
"His majesty's government has at
tentively examined the note which
your serene highness was good enough
to remit to me the 91st of January in
which is set forth the German govern
ment's resolute intention to interrupt
as from the following day all sea traf-
fic, without further notice and by no
matter what arm, around Great
Britain, France, Italy and in the east
ern Mediterranean. I must say that
note caused very painful impression
on the Spanish government. The atti-
tude of strict neutrality which Spain
adopted from the beginning and has
maintained with loyalty and unshaka-
BILE firmness gives her the right to ex-
pect that the lives of her subjects en-
gagged in sea trade should not be
placed in such grave peril. 1t also
! gives her the right to expect that trade
should not be troubled nor diminished
by such an increase in the extent of
the zones in which the imperial govo
eminent insists that, in order to attain
its ends, it must use all weapons and
suppress all limitations which has
hitherto imposed upon its methods of
naval warfare.
even before the imperial govern
ment had set aside these restrictions
his majesty's government had protest
ed, holding them insufficient to COM
ply with the prescriptions of interna-
tional maritime law. But the methods
of war announced by Germany are be-
ing carried to such an unexpected and
unprecedented extreme that the Span
ish government, considering its rights
and the requirements of its neutrality,
must with still more reason protest
calmly but firmly to the imperial gov
eminent and must make at the same
time the necessary reserves, imposed
by the legitimate presumption of in
eluctable responsibility which the i'm
perial government assumes, principal
ly in view of the loss of life which its 4
attitude may cause.
"His majesty's government bases its
protest on the fact that the decision /
to completely close the road to certain
seas by substituting for the indis-
putable right of capture in certain .
seas and a pretended right of destruc-
ton in all cases is outside the legal I
principles of international life. Above (
all it considers that the extension, in
the form announced of this pretended !
right of destruction to the lives of non
combatants and the subjects of neu-
trail nations such as Spain, is contrary
to the principles observed by all ma
tons, even in moments Of the greatest 4
violence. If the German government,
as it says, expects that the Spanish
people and government will not close
their ears to the reasons which have
caused its decision and hopes that they
will cooperate to avoid further ca
lamities and sacrifices of human life,
it will also understand that the Span
ish government while disposed to lend
at the proper time its initiative and
to everything that could con-
to the advent of a peace, more
and more wished for, cannot admit the
legality of exceptional method of war
fare. These methods, indeed, not with
standing Spain's rights as neutral
and her scrupulous fulfllment OF the
duties incumbent on her as such, make
more difficult and even stop altogeth-
er her sea trade, comprising her eco
nomic life and threatening with grave
dangers the lives of her subjects.
"His majesty's government, sup 1
ported more firmly than ever by the
Justice of its position, does not doubt
that the imperial government, inspired
by the sentiments of friendship which
mite the two countries, will find, not
the severe exigencies Of ]
this terrible war, means of giving sat Z
to Spain's claims. These
claims are based on the memorable
luty which binds a government to pro-
.ect the lives of its subjects and main
ain the integrity Of its sovereignty {
80 that the course of national exist
snce be not interrupted. For the rea- $
sons set out, his majesty's government I
feels itself fully sustained in its po- 8
;ition by reason and law"