Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-06-11
WILL FURNISH INFORMATION.

THE government Of the United States notes with
qualification the full recognition by the imperial
German government, in discussing the cases OF the
Gushing and the Gulfght, OF the principle of the
freedom OF all parts OF the open neutral ships
and the frank willingness Of the imperial German
government to acknowledge and meet its liability
where the fact of attack upon neutral ships which
have not been guilty OF any hostile act by German
aircraft or vessels of is satisfactorily estabshcd
and the government OF the United States viii i'm due
course lay before the imperial German government as
1t requests fun information concerning the attack
on the steamer Cushing.
with regard to the sinking Of the steamer
Falaba, by which American citizen lost his life,
the government the United States is surprised To
find the imperial German government contcndng
that effort the part IA mCrChantmnn TO
escape capture and assistance alters the obl-
CATION of the officer seeking to make the capture
respect of the safety of the lives of those on board
the merchantmen, although the vessel has ceased
her attempt to escape when tOrpcdOcd.
RECOGNIZED RULES OF WAR
These not new circumstances. They have
been in the minds of statesmen and Of international
juriss throughout the development OF naval warfare
and the government of the United States does not
understand that they have ever been held to alter
the principles Of humanity upon which it has in
sisted. Nothing but actual forciblc resistance
continued efforts to escape by flight when ordered
to stop for the purpose visit the part of the
merchantmen has been held forfeit the lives
of her passengers Or-crcw. The government Of the
United States, however, does not understand that
the imperial German government is seeking in this
TO relieve itself of liability hut intends only To
set forth the circumstances which led the commander
of the submarine to allow himself be hurried into
the course which he took
DID NOT CARRY GUNS
"Your eXcellencys note. in discussing the loss Of
American lives resulting from the sinking Of the
steamship Lusitania, adyerts at some length to
tain Information which the imperial German gov
ernment has received with regard to the character
and outfit of that vessel, your excclloncy ex-
presses the fear that this Information may have
been brought to the attention of the government Of
is in bp n,ta that tb.
Lusitania undoubtedly equipped with masked
guns, supplied with trained gunncrs and special
ammunition, transporting troops from Canada carry
ing a cargo not permitted under the laws Of tho
United States to a vessel also carrying passengers
and serving in virtual effect as an auxiliary to the
naval forces Of Great Britain Fortunately these are
matters concerning which the government Of the
United States is In position to give the imperial
German government official information. or the
facts alleged in your eXcelencys note II true the
government of the United States would have been
bound to take official cOgnizance in performing it's
recognized duty neutral power and in enforcing
its national laws 1t its duty to see to it that
the Lusitana not armed for offensive action
that she not serving a transport and that
did not carry cargo prohibited by the statutes Of
the United States and that, If, in fact she was a
naval vessel Great Britain should not receive
clearance merchantmen; and It performed that
duty and enforced its statutes with scrupuous vigil
through its regularly constituted officials. II
is able Therefore to assure the imperial German
government that It has been msinformcd If the
imperial German government should deem itself to
be in possession OF convincing evidence that tho
officials Of the government Of the United States did
not perform these duties with thoroughucss the
government of the United States sincerely hopes that
il will submit that evidence for consideration.
GERMAN CONVENTIONS IRRELEVANT
"Whatever may be the contentious of the i'm
perial German government regarding the carriage
OF contraband Of board the I.ustauia or
regarding the explosion Of that mateaI by the tor
pedo, IL need only be said that in the view OF this
government these contention are irrelevant to the
question of the legality of the methods used by the