al flags for the purpose of disguise or ruse de guerre.

Germany to agree: That all importations of food or foodstuffs from the
United States (and from such other neutral countries as may ask it) into
Germany shall be consigned to agencies to be designated by the United
States Government; that these American agencies shall have entire charge
and control without interference on the part of German Government of the
receipt and distribution of such importations, and shall distribute them
solely to retail dealers bearing licenses from the German Government
entitling them to receive and furnish such food and foodstuffs to
non-combatants only; that any violation of the terms of the retailers'
licenses shall work a forfeiture of their rights to receive such food
and foodstuffs for this purpose, and that such food and foodstuffs will
not be requisitioned by the German Government for any purpose
whatsoever, or be diverted to the use of the armed forces of Germany.

Great Britain to agree: That food and foodstuffs will not be placed
upon the absolute contraband list, and that shipments of such
commodities will not be interfered with or detained by British
authorities, if consigned to agencies designated by the United States
Government in Germany for the receipt and distribution of such cargoes
to licensed German retailers for distribution solely to the
non-combatant population.

In submitting this proposed basis of agreement this Government does not
wish to be understood as admitting or denying any belligerent or neutral
right established by the principles of international law, but would
consider the agreement, if acceptable to the interested powers, a modus
vivendi based upon expediency rather than legal right, and as not
binding upon the United States either in its present form or in a
modified form until accepted by this Government.

BRYAN.

II.

GERMANY'S REPLY.

_The German reply, handed to the American Ambassador at Berlin,
follows:_

BERLIN, March 1, 1915.

The undersigned has the honor to inform his Excellency, Mr. James W.
Gerard, Ambassador of the United States of America, in reply to the note
of the 22d inst., that the Imperial German Government have taken note
with great interest of the suggestion of the American Government that
certain principles for the conduct of maritime war on the part of
Germany and England be agreed upon for the protection of neutral
shipping. They see therein new evidence of the