rnment was unwilling to restrict an
effective weapon if "the enemy is permitted to apply at will methods of
warfare violating the rules of international law," the note expressed
the hope that the United States would "demand and insist that the
British Government shall observe forthwith the rules of international
law." The communication added:

"Should the steps taken by the Government of the United States not
attain the object it (the German Government) desires, to have the laws
of humanity followed by all belligerent nations, the German Government
would then be facing a new situation in which it must reserve to itself
complete liberty of decision."

To any such reservations the United States demurred in no uncertain
terms.

PRESIDENT WILSON'S REPLY.

"The United States feels it necessary to state," said President Wilson's
reply, "that it takes it for granted that the Imperial German Government
does not intend to imply that the maintenance of its newly announced
policy is any way contingent upon the course or result of diplomatic
negotiations between the Government of the United States and any other
belligerent Government, notwithstanding the fact that certain passages
in the Imperial Government's note might appear to be susceptible of that
construction."

In completing the declaration that there must be no misunderstanding
that rights of American citizens must not be made subject to the conduct
of some other Government, the note concluded by saying: "Responsibility
in such matters is single, not joint; absolute, not relative."

The climax came on February 1, 1917, when Count von Bernstorff, German
Ambassador at Washington, handed to Secretary Lansing a note from
Germany on the U-boat policy, supplemented by the "order" and
declaration that the Imperial Government proposed to stop sea traffic in
the "zones" which it marked as prohibited, by every means at its
command. This is the restricted zone order:

"From February 1, 1917, sea traffic will be stopped with every available
weapon and without further notice in the following blockade zones
around Great Britain, France, Italy and in the Eastern Mediterranean.

[Illustration: THE BLOCKADE ZONES.]

"In the North: The zone is confined by a line at a distance of twenty
sea miles along the Dutch coast to Terschelling fireship, the degree of
longitude from Terschelling fireship to Udsire (Norway), a line from
there across, the point 62 degrees north 0 degrees long