Evening star., 1915-02-20

the government giving orders that it
should be disregarded that the full re-
sponsibility for injury to nsutrals
! ought to rest"
Text of British Reply.
| The following is the text of the reply
] Of Great Britain to the American note.
, as handed to Walter Hines Page. the
American ambassador. yesterday:
| The memorandum communicated on
the 11th of February calls attention in
courteous and friendly terms to the ac-
| tion of the captain of the British
steamship Lusitania in raising the flag
of the United States of America, when
approaching British waters. and says
that the government of the United
states feels certain anxiety in consid-
ering the possibility of any general use
of the Gag of the United States by Brit
ism vessels traversing those waters,
since the effect of such a policy might
be to bring about menace to the lives
and vessels of United States citizens.
1T was understood that the German
government announced its intention OF
sinking British merchant vessels at
sight by torpedoes without giving any
opportunity of making any provision
for the saving of lives of non-combatant
crews and passengers 1t was in con-
sequence of this threat that the Lusi-
tania raised the United States flag on
her inward voyage.
Urged by American Passengers.
"On her subsequent outward voyage a
request was made by United States
Passengers who were embarking on
board her that the United States flag
should be hoisted. presumably to in
sure their safety. Meanwhile the mem
orandum from your excellency had been
received. His majesty's government
did not give any advice to the com
pany as to how to meet this request
and it understood that the Lusitania
left Liverpool under the British fla@
1T seems unnecessary to say more
"1n regard to the use of foreign flags
by merchant vessels the British mer-
chant shipping act makes it clear that
the use of the British flag by foreign
of war for the purpose of escaping
capture. 1t is believed that in the case
of some other nations there is similar
recognition of the same practice with
regard to their flag. and that none of
them has forbidden 1t.
Request Termed Unreasonable"
TT would therefore be unreasonable
to expect his majesty's government to
pass legislation forbidding the use of
foreign flags by British merchant ves-
sells to avoid capture by the enemy,
now that the German government have
announced their intention to sink mer-
chant vessels at sight with their nom
combatant crews, cargoes and papers,
proceeding hitherto regarded by the
opinion of the world not as war. but
piracy. 1t is felt that the United States
government could not fairly ask the
British government to order British
merchant vessels to forego means al
ways hitherto permitted of escaping
not only capture. but the much worse
fate of sinking and destruction.
Great Britain has always, when a |
neutral. accorded to vessels of other
states at war the liberty to use the
British nag as means of protection
from capture, and instances are on rec
ord when United States vessels availed
themselves of this facility during the
American civil war. 1t would be con-
trary to fair expectation if now, when |
States and neutral nations were to
grudge to British ships the liberty to |
take similar action. |
Obligation on Germany.
The British government has no in
tention of advising its merchant |
shipping to use foreign flags as a gen.
eral practice. or to resort to them 9TH |
erwise than for escaping capture or de- |
struction. The obligation upon a bel |
ligerent warship to ascertain definitely |
for itself the nationality and charac- |
ter of a merchant vessel before cap
turing it. and a fortiori before sinking |
and destroying it, has been universally |
recognized. If that obligation is full |
filed the hosting of neutral flag on |
board a British vessel cannot possibly |
endanger neutral shipping. and the
British government holds that if loss
to neutrals is caused by disregard of
this obligation, it is upon the enemy
vessel disregarding 1t, and upon the
government giving the orders that it |
should be disregarded that the sole re-
sponsibility for injury to neutrals
ough ito rest"