to us - protest Consulate General communicates againat German mine laying methods in the North Sea, which has been circulated lis Majesty's Government consider it their-duty to bring before the notice of the Government the practice which is being pursued by the German naval authorities in laying mines on the high seas on the trade routes, not only to British but to neutral ports, and in furtherance of no definite military operation. His Majesty Government have reason to think that fishing vessels, possibly disguised as neutral, are employed for the purpose, and lay these mines under the pretence of following the ordinary vocations of fishing. Mines have been found in several cases as much as fifty miles from the coast.
This practice has already resulted, ince the commencement of the war, in the destruction of eight neutral and seven British merchant and fishing vessels, so far as at present ascertained, with the loss of some ty Ili of neutral and non-comtant persons.
The practice of laying mince indiscriminately and in large numbers on the high seas, entirely regardless of the dangers to peaceful shipping, is in flagrant violation of the accepted principles of international law and contrary to the primary dictates of humanity. It is also in direct contradic! the language of Baron Marechall von Bieberstein, who, as First German delegate at the Peace Conference of spoke as follows "We do not intend, if 1 may employ expression used by the British de-agate, to sow mines in profusion on very sea'... We do not hold the pinion' that' everything which ig not expressly forbidden is permitted."
The freedom of the seas for peaceful trading is an established and universally accepted princi this fact has never been more clvarly recognized than in the words of the report of the third Committee of the S2cond Peace Conference, which dealt with the question of submarine contact mines:—
Piety are a a from any written stay
the minds of all that the principle of the liberty of the commancation open to the nations, is the indisputable prerogative of the human race.
This principle received further recognition in the 3rd article of the Convention relating to the laying of marine contact min "When anchored, sulomatic conta Eaution must be taken forthe scanty of employed, every possible pre-
peaceful shipping.
"The belligerents undertake to do their utmost to render these mines _harmlew limited time has elapsed, und, Thould the mines cease to be under observation, to naify, the, danger ses Srotiee to mariners, which mua is be as military xi
communicated to ' the through the diplomatic channel."
Not only have the German Government neglected to take every por sible precaution for the safety of neutral shipping, but they have, ea the contrary, deliberately and successfully contrived to sow danger in its. track. The mined zones have not been kept under observation nor has any notification of their locality ever bern made, The provisions of this article, which the German Government are pledged observe, have, therefore, been violated in three distinct ways.
Article 1, section 2, of the same Convention has equally been violate ed by the German Government, for the mines which they have Isid have in numerous instances been found adrift from their moorings without having becom: harmless, Yet the German Govtrnment made no reser: vation respecting this article either when signing or ratifying ths Oonvention.
The degree of respect with which the German Government treat their written pledges, and the pledges given verbally in th: their representatives, apparent from what It is brought into yet higher relief in the light of the following statement made by Baron Marschall before the third Committee of the last Peace Conference, and repeat ed by him in full, and with added emphasis, at the eighth plenary meeting of the Conference "A. belligerent. who lays mines as samen avery heary reeponaiitity to wards neutrals an¢ al ing. eet "No one will resort memo unless for military reasons of an absolutely urgent character, But mili tary acts are not governed solely principles of international law, There fare other factors: conscience, good sense, and the sentiment of duty imposed by inciples of humanity will be the ourest guides for the conduct of sailors, and will constitute the most effective guarantee against abuses. The officers of the German navy, I emphatically agirm, will alw: it fulfil, in the strictest fash His Majesty's Gov-minent desire to place on record their strong protest against the illegitimate means of conducting warfare which has beea resorted to by their adversaries.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.