Show presidents REPLY REFIT T OMAN N E 4 declaration OF abandonment OF FORMER SU SUBMARINE B MARINE POLICY IN GOOD FAITH imperial governments Government la notified that the dispute with great britain has aas no bearing upon the matter wa washington sh ington president wilsons Wll Wil sons reply to the german note cabled by secretary lansing to ambassador gerard i at berlin on may 8 informs the germ german an government that the united states accepts its declaration of abandonment of its former submarine policy and now relies upon a scrupulous execution of the altered policy to remove the principal danger of an in Iter interruption of the good relations exist lne between the two countries with this acceptance is coupled formal anal notice to germany german that the united states cannot tor for a moment enter iraln tain much less discuss a suggestion that hat respect by german naval author alues aties of the rights of citizens of the united states on the high seas should ain n the sligh slightest degree be made contingent upon the conduct of any other government affecting the rights of neutrals and non combatants following Is the text of the note the note of the imperial german to government vern ment under date of slay may 1 1916 has 0 received careful consideration by ahe government of the united states ht t Is especially noted as indicating the purpose odthe of the imperial government as aa to the future that it Is prepared to do its utmost to confine the operation of bf the war for the rest of its duration to the ahe fighting forces of the bellig belligerents er and that it Is determined to impose upon allias all its commanders at sea the limitations of the recognized rules of international law upon which the government of the united states has baa insisted I 1 throughout the months which have elapsed since the imperial government announced on february 4 its submarine policy now nap hap united states has been constantly guided and restrained by motives ot of friendship in its patient efforts to bring to an amicable settlement the critical questions arising from that policy accepting the imperial governments ern ments declaration of its abandonment of the policy which has so serl seriously menaced the good relations between the two countries the go government e M of the united states willy will rel rely upon a scrupulous execution hence borth of the now altered policy of the imperial government such as will remove the principal danger to an interruption ter of the good relations existing between the united states and germany the government of the united states feels it necessary to state that it takes it for granted that the imperial government does not intend to imply that thal the maintenance of its new newly ly announced policy is in rhy way contingent upon the course or result diplomatic of negotiations between the government of the united states and any other belligerent government ern ment notwithstanding the fact that certain passages in the imperial governments ern ments note of the fourth instant might appear to be susceptible of that construction in order however to avoid any possible misunderstanding the government of the united states notifies the imperial government that it cannot tor for a moment entertain much less discuss a suggestion that respect py by german naval authorities for the rights of citizens citi was of the united state apon coif the high seu seas should in any way or slightest degree be made contingent upon the conduct of any other government affecting the rights of neutrals and noncombatants combatants non i responsibility lity in such matters is single not joint absolute not relative |