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Show ! f SOU'S NOTE IS FRIENDLY BUT HRM jERMAN NOTE UNSATISFACTORY AS IT FAILS TO MEET THE REAL DIFFERENCES. Repetition of Controvention of Rights 0f American Citizens Will be Regarded Re-garded by United States as Deliberately Unfriendly. Washington. The text of the reply ff the I'nitd States to the German r,ote on the Lusitania and the general subject of Germany's submarine war-;Sre war-;Sre was made public on July 2;i ;ii the state department. Follow ir.g is the official text of the ":j:est American note to Germany. The secretary of state to Ambassador Ambassa-dor Gerard. Department of State, Washington, July 21, 1915. You re instructed to deliver textually the fol-rc-wins note to the minister of foreign The note of the imperial German fovernment, dated the 8th of July, -,915, has received the careful con-s.jeration con-s.jeration of the government of the Vaiteil States, and it regrets to be oKiged to say that it has found it very unsatisfactory, because it fails to meet the real differences between the two governments and indicates no uy in which the accepted principles of law and humanity may be applied in the grave matter in controversy, tut proposes, on the contrary, arrangements ar-rangements for a partial suspension :,; those principles which virtually .-et them aside. One Point Satisfactory. The government of the United f ates notes with satisfaction t'aat the :u;per:al Germaai government recognizes recog-nizes without reservation the validity c: the principles insisted upon in the everal communications which this tjvemnient has addressed to the Im-; Im-; eriitl German government with re-i.i:A re-i.i:A to its announcement of a war ;;ce and the use of submarines ,u-a::ist merchantmen on the high -vas the principle that' the high jcas are free, that the character and rargo of a merchantman must first Ve ascertained before she can law-rally law-rally he seized or destroyed, and that ;:.e lives of non-combatants may in no ;..-e be put in jeopardy unless the vessel resists or seeks to escape after lei:.? summoned to submit to examination; exam-ination; for a belligerent act of retaliation retali-ation is per se an act beyond the law, ind the defense of an act as retaliatory retalia-tory is an admission that it is illegal. Keen Disappointment. The government of the United States is, however, keenly disappoint-et; disappoint-et; to find that the imperial German ioverninent regards itself as in large c-gree exempt from the obligation to observe these principles, even where neutral vessels are concernd, by what it bclieres the policy and practice ot 'he government of Great Britain to be it the present war with regard to neu-tial neu-tial commerce. The imperial German government will readily understand that the government of the United States cannot discuss the policy of "he government -of Great Britain with regard to neutral trade except with that government itself, and that it must regard the conduct of other belligerent bel-ligerent governments as irrelevant to 2.v discussion with the imperial German Ger-man government of what this government govern-ment regards as grave and unjustifiable unjustifi-able violations of the rights of Amerl-an Amerl-an citizens by. German naval commanders. com-manders. Illegal and inhuman acts, however justifiable they may be thought to be against an enemy who i believed to have acted in contravention contra-vention of law and humanity, are E-anifestly indefensible when they deprive de-prive neutrals of their acknowledged tights, particularly when they violate t-e right to life itself. If a belligerent belliger-ent cannot retaliate against an enemy without injuring the lives of neutrals, as well as their property, humanity as vell as justice and a due regard for 'lie dignity of neutral powers should dictate that the practice be discon-'raued. discon-'raued. If persisted in it would, in such circumstances, constitute an unpardonable un-pardonable offense against the sovereignty sover-eignty of the neutral nation affected, 'fhe government of the United Slate3 'S not unmindful of the extraordinary 'ondiiions created by this war or of fie radical alterations of circumstances circum-stances andmethod of attack produced by the use of instrumentalities of ''aval warfare which the nations of 'he world cannot have had in view lynen the existing rules of international interna-tional law were formulated, and it is 'early to make every reasonable allowance al-lowance for these novel and unexpected unexpect-ed aspects of war at sea; but it cannot can-not consent to abate any essential or 'undamental right of its people b-'ause b-'ause of a mere alteration of circumstance. circum-stance. The rights of neutrals in time of war are based upon principle, not "Pon expediency, and the principles are immutable. Duty of Belligerents. . It is the duty and obligation of bel-'eerents bel-'eerents to find a way to adapt the new circumstances to them. The events of the past two months have clearly Indicated that it Is possible pos-sible and practicable to conduct such "'bmarine operations as have charac- Mrd th9 atiTlt7 of the Imperial wn? in na7(wlthln the so-called war zone in substantial accord with the ?'reP T, PICtfe3 f regl"ated r u'Th' i , Wb0le World has ked r ,', , m""" increasiS satistac- ' i I, lit , dr?mon8ttlon of that pos-, pos-, b-v "-an naval command-It command-It is manifestly possible, there-'o''e. there-'o''e. to lift the whole practice of snb-'urtne snb-'urtne attack above the criticism "mob u has aroused and remove the cinei causes of offense. In view of the admission of illegality "'.!Ule by t;,e imperial government 11 Pleaded the right of retalia-uLii retalia-uLii in di-lcnse of its acts, and in view ot the manifest possibilitv of conform-lo conform-lo Uu' established rules of naval vat-fare, the government of the Unit-id Unit-id States cannot believe that the imperial im-perial government will longer refrain irom disavowing the wanton act of its naval commander in sinking the I.usi-tania I.usi-tania or from offering reparation for the American lives lost, so far as reparation repa-ration can be made for a needless destruction de-struction of human life by an illegal act. Suggestion Not Accepted. The government of the United States, while not indifferent to the lnendly spirit in which it is made, cannot accept the suggestion of the imperial government that certain vessels ves-sels be designated and agreed upon which shall be free on the seas now illegally proscribed. The very agreement agree-ment would, by implication, subject other vessels to illegal attack, and would be a curtailment and therefore an abandonment of the principles for which this government contends, and which in times of calmer counsels every nation would concede as of course. The government of the United States and the imperial Germon government, gov-ernment, contending for the same I great object, have long stood together in urging the very principles upon which the government of the United States now so solemnly insists. They are both conteading for the freedom of the seas. The government of the United States will continue to contend for that freedom, from whatever quarter quar-ter violated, without compromise and at any cost. It invites the practical cooperation- of the imperial German government at this time when co-op-tration may accomplish most, and this great common object be most strikingly strik-ingly and effectively achieved. Can Be Accomplished. The imperial German government expresses the hope that this olivet may be in some measure accomplished accomplish-ed even before the present war ends. It can be. The government of the United States not only feels obliged to insist upon it, by whomsoever violated vio-lated or ignored, and in the protec- lion of its own citizens, but is also deeply interested in seeing it made practicable between the belligerents themselves, and holds itself ready at any time to act as the common friend ho may be privileged to suggest a way. In the meantime the very value which this government sets upon the long and unbroken friendship between the people and government of the United Scates and the people and government gov-ernment of the German nation impels it to press very solemnly upon the imperial German government the necessity for a scrupulous observance of neutral rights in this critical matter. mat-ter. Friendship itself prompts it to say to the imperial German government govern-ment that repetition by commanders of the German naval vessels of a Us in contravention of these rights must be regarded by .the government o the United States, when they affect American Amer-ican citizens, as ' deliberately unfriendly. un-friendly. . (Signed) LANSING. |