repeatedly and
explicitly declared itself ready to use the submarine weapon in strict
conformity with the rules of international law as recognized before
the outbreak of the war, if Great Britain likewise was ready to adapt
the conduct of warfare to these rules.

"The German people knows that the Government of the United States has
the power to confine the war to armed forces of the belligerent
countries, in the interest of humanity and maintenance of
international law. The Government of the United States would have been
certain of attaining this end had it been determined to insist against
Great Britain on the incontrovertible rights to freedom of the seas.
But, as matters stand, the German people is under the impression that
the Government of the United States, while demanding that Germany,
struggling for existence, shall restrain the use of an effective
weapon and while making compliance with these demands a condition for
maintenance of relations with Germany, confines itself to protest
against illegal methods adopted by Germany's enemies. Moreover, the
German people knows to what considerable extent its enemies are
supplied with all kinds of war material from the United States.

"It will, therefore, be understood that the appeal made by the
Government of the United States to sentiments of humanity and
principles of international law cannot, under the circumstances, meet
the same hearty response from the German people which such an appeal
otherwise always is certain to find here."

This complaint was an allusion to the refusal of the United States to
involve its issues with Great Britain with those it had with Germany
or to mediate the proposal that Great Britain raise her food blockade
against Germany, who would then discontinue her submarine war on
British merchantmen. The tone of an injured party Germany assumed in
taking this attitude, as though she had a just cause of complaint
against the United States, was accepted as a plaintive prelude to her
final surrender; but even this surrender she did not make without
again clogging her concessions with the same proposal which the United
States had already flatly rejected.

"The German Government, conscious of Germany's strength, twice within
the last few months announced before the world its readiness to make
peace on a basis safeguarding Germany's vital interests, thus
indicating that it is not Germany's fault if peace is still withheld
from the nations of Euro