The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-02-09
GERMANY'S PLEDGE AND HER
NOTICE OF IT'S WITHDRAWAL


In the note conveying her pledges
to keep submarine activities within
international lay, Germany included a
threat to remove restrictions if the
United States did not succeed in lift
ing British restrictions on commerce
to Germany and the European neu-
trails, and the United States in reply
expressly warned Germany that the
pledges must be absolutely uncondi-
tional The salient points of the cor
respondence that led to and followed
this pledge are presented herewith:
The American Warning.
The President in the final note on
the Sussex case, April IS, 1916, said /:
"If it is still the purpose of the I'm
perial Government to prosecute re-
lentless and indiscripninate warefare
against vessels of commerce by the
use of submarines, without regard to
what the United States must consider
the sacred and indisputable rules Of
international law and the universally
recognized dictates of humanity, the
United States is at last forced to the
conclusion that there is but one course
to pursue. Unless the Imperial Gov
eminent should now Immediately de-
clare and effect an abandonment OF
its present methods of submarine war.
fare against passenger and freight
carrying vessels, the Government OF
the United States can have no choice
but to sever diplomatic relations with
the German Empire altogether.
The German Pledge.
The German pledge to conduct its
naval war strictly within the condi-
ton prescribed by international law
made in the Note of May 4, 1916, was
as follows:
1.-THE German Government, guided
by this idea, notifies the Government
of the United States that the German
naval forces have received the fol.
lowing orders: in accordance with
the general principles of visit and
search and destruction of merchant
vessels recognized by international
law as such vessels, both within ant
without the zone declared as naval
war zone, shall not be sunk without
warning and without saving human
lives, unless these ships attempt tt
escape or offer resistance"
"Neutrals," said Germany in the
Sussex note, "cannot expect that Ger.
many, forced to fight for her exist.
ence, shall, for the sake of neutral in.
terests, restrict the use of an effective
weapon if. her enemy is permitted tt
continue to apply at will methods Of
| warfare violating the rules of inter,
national law. Should steps tax,
en- by the United States not affair
the object to have laws of hu.
manity followed by all belligerent ma,
tions, the German Government ther
would be facing a new situation, il
which it must reserve itself complete
lberty of decson."
U. S. Rejects CondtOns.
To any such reservations the United
States demurred in no uncertain
terms.
"The United States feels it neces.
sary to state" said President Wilson'S
reply, chat it takes it for granted
that the Imperial German Govern
ment does not intend to imply thai
the maintenance of its newly an
nounced policy is in any way contin.
gent upon the course or result of dip.
lomatic negotiations between the
Government of the United States anc
any other belligerent Government
notwithstanding the fact that certain
passages in the Imperial Government
note might appear to be SUSCEPTIBLE
Of that construction"
Germany's Withdrawal of the Pledge
From her note of January 3D.
THUS new situation has sprung
up, which forces Germany also to new
decisions. The attempt to es-
tablish an understanding between adj
versaries having been answered by the
announcement of intensified warfare
the Imperial Government must now
continue the war for existence once
more forced upon it by using its most
effective weapon.
"The Imperial Government there
fore is forced to do away with the re-
strictions which until now it has i'm
pressed upon the use of it's fighting
means on the sea-"