The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-10
tJ Boat Commander Fired Torpedo in Self Defense, Says Berlin Message Regrets Loss of Ameri- cans, But Stands Firm on Policy.
Keen Disappointment Felt in Capital 0yer Text of
 Explanation By Berlin Complications in Serious International Question Foreseen.

Berlin. via London. Sept. 1o.-Ger- lnaany in her note to the United States government on the sinking of the Arabic expresses regret for the loss4of American lives. but states posi- lively. that no indemnity for such lass. loan be granted The text of the note WAS made pub1ie here last night
 The expression Of regret is whole hearted and without equivocation- tThe Imperial German government ] says it deeply regrets that lives i were lost not merely ispecifying Ing. the lives of all on-eombatants. This, in a measure. is an evident ac- ceptance of the principle insisted up-l lon by President Wilson that the lives of all non-com bata ntss ven. when ] tr ratelling on beIltgerent ships, must ! be held sacred.
 Respecting the loss of American { lives in the destruction of the Arabic l the Imperial German government says ! 1t particularly expresses this regret OF account of the death of American citizens
 2 The refusal to. grant indemnity Is absolute, ana will stand even if the. suhmarfne commander should fhave been mistaken as to aggressive inten- tions on the part of the Arabic :; Capital Is DisappointeG
 : Washington, Sept 1o--Germany' i exclamation of the sinking of the zFhife Star steamship Arabic was re- ce5ved at the state department yester- day from James w. Gerard, the American am bassador at Berlin to ' whom 1t was delivered on Tuesday evening While ef1cials have not had the. opportunity to study the cornm1n- h m@M position which ttA4sets forth to ! caasMe deep disappointnaent The ex- 1 pezfat5on was that Gafraang would [ disavow the act and sperhaps give as sl1rahce that the commander of the s,1ibzrfArfne which attacked the Arabic
 zoaId be punished for disebedience of ! orders Instead Germany Justifies the attack on the ground of self defense { It Is too early to hazard a predic-. tion. as to what the course of the United States Government will be- ] vEHfh he.rFeft ths State Apartment i mot com picked his isreading of the docu- { ment, and as, other officials were in the same position, comment that would voice any matured view was not ob- :1a1nabaR-
 '; The feature that stands out. how lever. and that affords ground for con seern over the German attitude is that kfhef nara lives of survivors of the SwVh1te Star liner indicate that the Ara lHb1c couId not have been tOrpedOed while she was running head-on toward the Eerman sJbmarine, with the ap- parent purpose of ramndings as the Germans contend The Arabic was struck by the German torpedo about ninety feet from. the stern, In the opinion of officials here she would have been hit in the bow had she been going in the direction of the sub- lEnaT1no. ~ Regrets Loss of Americans.
 The lives of two Americans were lost 4E1 the sinking of the Arabic, and for ssI1is the German Government expresses deeR regret It-giEes, in some detail. ! the instruc actions that were issued to iI1assenger vessels without warning. land to provide means for the safety of those on board those passenger yes gels which submarines had determined Ito send to the bottom. It is explain led that under these yinstruetions an. attack by a submarine on 8 passenger vessel would Be justified only in the event that the liner attempted to es- cape after the submarine had ordered
 her te h4aFe to or she showed an in- tent1on of ramnning OF otherwise at hackfng the submarine.
 Accounts of Attack Differ.
 In some respects the German sub
 
 siTai1ar to the accounts of the sea tragedy as obtained by the United States Government from Arabic sur lvivors, But the statement Of the sub- sznarine commander and those of sur Ev1vors differ radically in important Eparticulars. The submarine com snaandeF acted oH the belief that the l-Arabie was attempting to ram his ves- !seI, according to the German eommu- Epieatien. There is nothing to show Et1lat he was certain that the Arabic f4aadN that intention, It is Eaaderstoed that in his account of what occurred the submarine commander said that the Arabic came in the direction of the submarine, but changed her course slightly, and then changed it again in the direction of the subnariHe- There upon he fired in the belief that the Arabic intended to ram his vessel. S The statements obtained by this sso4ernment from officers and other survivors of the Arabic agree that no suflHaarine, and not even the peri fssape of a submarine, was seen by l4f1ena They did not see the path of ithe torpedo coming in the direction fpf the Arabic,s broadside Accord Ing to the statement Of Ze1lah Gov fsngton the playwright, who is an ak 4Fierican citizen, he saw the torpedo, and believed that it would strike the Arabic well toward her stern or else nazss her altogether. Mr: Ceyingten changed her course, and this state znent in his affidavit caused some con fusion in the minds of State Depart
 nent officials. who were unable to de terrnine from it whether he meant that the stamship changed SC as to gun away. Phe fact that those en sy-------=-