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Show I! UNCLE SAM STANDS FIRM W I IN HIS NOTE TO GERMANY . WASHINGTON, D. C, July 23. Following is H . f the official text of the Intent American note to B l Germany regarding Hubmnrino warfare, which H ' fi wnn delivered to the foreign office fit Berlin to H . j I dny by Ambnssndor Gcrnrd: H :- Department of State, Washington, July 21, ti ; 1915. The Secretary of State to Ambassador B jgj Gerard : ij You are instructed to deliver textually the fol-Bl1' fol-Bl1' ! lowing note lo the minister of foreign affairs: B i I The note of the imperial German government, B j j u dated the 8th of July, 1015, has received the care-B care-B h ' 1 V fill consideration of the government of the Unl-B Unl-B ted States and it regrets to be obliged to nay that Bj( ' $ it has found it very unsatisfactory, because it B;' J falls to meet the real differences between the K i I two governments and indicates no way in which Bi i 1 the accepted principles of law and humanity may B I be applied in the grave matter in controversy, m 1 but proposes, on the contrary, arrangements for B j n pnrtlnl suspension of those principals which B 3 virtually sets them aside. B 1 Principle Acknowledged Hy Gcrmnny. m m The government of the United Stales notes BB n with satisfaction that tho imperial German gov BB il ernment recognizes without reservation tho vnl- B i l idity of the principles insisted upon in the several BB 1 ii communications which this government has ad- BB II dressed to the imperial German government with B i regard to its announcement of a war zone and B tj tho use of submarines against merchantmen on Bl : tho high seas; the principle that tho high seas Bt j are free; that the character and cargo of a mor- Bft chantmnn must first be ascertained before she B , can lawfully be seized or destroyed, and that the Ba H lives of non-combatants may in no case be put in BBt , jeopardy unless tho vessel resists or seeks to Bf ' escape after being summoned to submit to cx- BL) , ; nminntion; for a belligerent act of retaliation is Bffl per so an act beyond tho law and tho defense of BBt nn nct nn retaliatory is an admission that it is i! 1 lllcgnl- H" Contention Causes DiHiippointmcnt. H ' The government of the United States is, how- Bj ever, keenly disappointed to find that the Im- Ba fi perial Gcrmnn government regards itself as in Ba 1 j largo degree exempt from tho obligation to ob- L , servo these principles, even whero neutral vos- Bv,h 2 scls are concerned, by whnt it bell n-es the policy mL I nnd practico of the government of Great Hritain BB) if to bo in the present war with regard to neutral B'V ,2 'commerce. The imperial Germnn government BB I will readily understand thnt the government of BB r j 1 tho United Slates cannot discuss the policy of BB f 1 1 tho government of Great Hritain with regard to BB b j i neutral trade except with that government itself, BB r.z, J2 and that it must regard the conduct of other BB i fl belligerent governments as irrelevant to any (lis- BB q cussion with tho imperial German government of Bj' j what this government regards as grave nnd tin- Bj -I Justifiable violations of tho rights of American BBjl citizens by German naval commanders. Illegal B , j Nand inhuman nets, however justifiable they may BB ' ' be thought to bo against nn enemy who is be- BBj' ' lioved to havo acted in contravention of law and BB humanity, aro manifestly indcfcnslblo when they BBJ jj deprivo neutrals of their acknowledged rights, BBj , $ particularly when thoy violate the right to life BBJ j Itself. B ' . Refused to Abate Fundamental Rights. B t tj If a belligerent cannot retaliate against nn Bj1 ) fi enemy without injuring the lives of neutrals, ns BBr ' J well us their property, humanity as well as jus- BBJ , tlce and a due rcgnrd for the dignity of neutral BBJ a powers should dictate that the practice be dis- BBJ ' continued. If persisted in it would in such cir- BJ . cumsUinces constitute an unpardonable offense Bj. I against the sovereignty of the neutral nation af- BBj v I fectcd. Tho government of the United States is BB ; not unmindful of the extraordinary conditions BBt I I created by this war or of the radical alterations BBJ . of circumstances and method of attack produced B&V., kf fl by the use of instrumentalities of naval warfare BBJ yl fl which tho nations of tho world cannot have hn'd BBT ' ' I in view when tho existing rules of international BBr ij law were formulated, and it is ready to make BBt: . i ft every reasonable allowance for these novel and BBJ ' fl unexpected aspects of war at sea, but it cannot consent to abate any essential or fundamental right of its people because of a mere alteration of circumstance. Tho rights of neutrals in time of war arc based on principle, not upon. expediency, expedi-ency, and the principles nre immutable. It is the duty and obligation of belligerents to find a way to adapt the new circumstances to them. Reiterates Demand For Reparation. The events of the past two months have clearly indicated that it is possible and practicable to contluct such submarine operations ns hnve characterized char-acterized the activity of the imperial .German navy within the socalled war zone in substantial accord with the accepted practices of regulated warfare. The whole world has looked with interest in-terest and increasing satisfaction at the demonstration demon-stration of thnt possibility by German naval commanders. It Is manifestly possible, therefore, there-fore, to lift the whole practice of submarine attack at-tack above the criticism which it has aroused and remove the chief causes of offenr-. In view of the admission of illegality made by the Imperial government when it pleaded the right of retaliation in defense of its acts, antl in view of 'the manifest posribillty of conforming to tho established rules of naval warfare, the government of the United States cannot believe that the Imperial government will longer refrain from disavowing the wanton act of its naval com-mnnder com-mnnder in sinking the Lusitania or from offering reparation for the American lives lost, so far as reparation can be made for a needless destruction of human life by nn illegal act. . Rejects Arrangement Proposed. The government of the United States, while not Indifferent to the friendly spirit in which It Is made, cannot accept the suggestion of the imperial im-perial government that certain vessels be designated desig-nated and agreed upon which shall be free on the seas now illcgnlly proscribed. The very agreement agree-ment would, by implication, subject other vessels to lllcgnl attack nnd woultl be a curtailment nnd therefore an abandonment of the principles for which this government contends, nnd which in times of cnlmcr counsels ever nation would concede con-cede us of course. The government of the United Stntcs nnd the imperini German government, contending for the same great object, have long stood together in urging the very principles upon which the government gov-ernment of the United States now so solemnly, insists. They are both contending for the freedom free-dom of the seas. The government of the United States will continue to contend for thnt freedom, from whatever quarter violated, without compromise com-promise nnd nt any cost. It invites the prncticnl co-operation of the imperial German government nt this time when co-operation may accomplish most nnd this great common object bo most strikingly und effectively achieved. i Hope Expressed For Co-Opcratlon. Tho Imperial Gcrmnn government expresses tho hope that this object may be in some mcasuro accomplished oven before the present war ends. It can be. Tho government of the United States not only feels obliged to insist upon it, by whomsoever whom-soever violutcd or ignored, and in the protection of Its own citizens, but is also deeply Interested In seeing it mado practicable between the belligerents bellig-erents themselves, and holds Itself ready at any tlmo to act as the common friend who may be privileged to suggest a way. In the meantime, tho very value which thla government sets upon the long and unbroken friendship between tho people nnd government of the United States and tho people and government of tho Germnn nation impels it to press very solemnly upon tho impcrlnl German government the necessity for n scrupulous observance of ncu-1 tral rights in this critical matter. Friendship Itself prompts it to say to tho imperial Germaa government that repetition by commanders of, the German naval vessels of acts in contraven-tlon contraven-tlon of those rights must be vegnrded by the irov-ernment irov-ernment of the United States when they nffect American citizens ns deliberately unfrlendlv. (Signed) LANSING. , |