pe. The German Government feels all the more
justified in declaring that responsibility could not be borne before
the forum of mankind and in history if after twenty-one months of the
war's duration the submarine question, under discussion between the
German Government and the Government of the United States, were to
take a turn seriously threatening maintenance of peace between the two
nations.

"As far as lies with the German Government, it wishes to prevent
things from taking such a course. The German Government, moreover, is
prepared to do its utmost to confine operations of the war for the
rest of its duration to the fighting forces of the belligerents,
thereby also insuring the freedom of the seas, a principle upon which
the German Government believes, now as before, that it is in agreement
with the Government of the United States.

"The German Government, guided by this idea, notifies the Government
of the United States that German naval forces have received the
following orders:

"'In accordance with the general principles of visit and search and
the destruction of merchant vessels, recognized by international law,
such vessels, both within and without the area declared a naval war
zone, shall not be sunk without warning and without saving human lives
unless the ship attempts to escape or offer resistance.'

"But neutrals cannot expect that Germany, forced to fight for
existence, shall, for the sake of neutral interests, restrict the use
of an effective weapon if the enemy is permitted to continue to apply
at will methods of warfare violating rules of international law. Such
a demand would be incompatible with the character of neutrality, and
the German Government is convinced that the Government of the United
States does not think of making such a demand, knowing that the
Government of the United States repeatedly declares that it is
determined to restore the principle of freedom of the seas, from
whatever quarter it has been violated.

"Accordingly, the German Government is confident, that in consequence
of the new orders issued to the naval forces, the Government of the
United States will also now consider all impediments removed which may
have been in the way of a mutual cooperation toward restoration of the
freedom of the seas during the war, as suggested in the note of July
23, 1915, and it does not doubt that the Government of the United
States will now demand and insist that the British Government