through the violation of international law and the seizing of
mail.

"6. Imprisonment of German reservists aboard neutral ships.

"7. a. Violation of Article I of The Hague Convention by the
confiscation of the German hospital ship _Ophelia_. b. Murdering of
submarine crew upon command of British auxiliary cruiser _Baralong_.
c. Violation of Article XXIX, No. 1, of London Declaration by
preventing American Red Cross from sending supplies to the German Red
Cross.

"8. a. Destruction of German cruisers _Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse_ in
Spanish territorial waters by English cruiser _Highflyer_. b.
Destruction of German cruiser _Dresden_ in Chinese waters by British
cruiser _Glasgow_. c. Attack of British warships on German ship
_Paklas_ in Norwegian waters.

"9. England armed her merchant ships for attack.

"10. Use of neutral flags and signs by British merchantmen in violation
of Articles II and III of the Paris Declaration."

On page 134, after discussing the question of whether the English
blockade has been effective and arguing that England by seizing neutral
ships with food on the supposition that the food was going to Germany,
he says:

"We may conclude from these facts that we Germans can now consider
ourselves freed from the uncomfortable conditions of the London
Declaration and may conduct the war as our own interests prescribe. We
have already partially done this in as much as we followed the English
example of extending the lists of war contraband. This has been
inconvenient for the neutrals affected and they have protested against
it. We may, however, consider that they will henceforth respect our
proposals just as they have in the past accepted English interests.
England demanded from them that they assist her because England was
fighting for the future of neutrals and of justice. We will take this
principle also as basis for what we do and even await thereby that we
will compel England to grant us the kind of peace which can lay new
foundations for sea warfare and that for the future the military acts
of belligerents against neutrals will not be carried to the extremes
they have been for centuries because of England's superior sea power.
This new era of civilised warfare we bring under the term 'freedom of
the seas.'"

Hollweg's next justification of the unlimited submarine warfare is that
Secretary of State Lansing in a note to Count von Bernstorff at first
said merchant ships could not