The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-06-18
THE LAST AMERICAN
NOTE To GERMANY.

The following is the text of the
American Note to Germany, sent by
President Wilson on the 10th inst:
"The secretary of state ad interim
to the American ambassador at Ber-
lin:
Department of State, Washington,
June 8, 1915.
american Ambassador, Berlin:
You are instructed to deliver teXtual-
ly the following note to the minister
of foreign affairs:
an compliance, with your excel
lency's request did not fail to trans
nit to my government Immediately
upon their receipt your note of May
% in reply to my note of May Is and
your supplementary note of June l,
setting forth the conclusions so far as
reached by the imperial German gov
ernment concerning the attacks on
the American steamers Cushing and
Gulflight. | am now asked by my
government to communicate the fol-
lowing in reply:
"The government of the United
States notes with qualification the full
recognition by the imperial German
government in discussing the cases of
the Cushing and Gulflight. of the peo-
pie of the freedom of all parties to
the open seas of neutral ships and the
frank willingness of the imperial gov
ernment to acknowledge and meet its
liability where the fact of attack up,
OH neutral ships which have not been
guilty of any hostile act by German
aircraft or vessels of war is satisfac-
torily established; and the govern
ment of the United States will in due
time lay before the imperial govern
ment, at its request. full information
concerning the attack on the steamer
Cushing.
"With regard to the sinking of the
steamer Falaba by which an Ameri-
can citizen lost his life the govern
ment of the United States is surprised
to find the imperial German govern
ment contending that an effort on the
part of a merchant marine to escape
capture and secure assistance alters
the obligation of the officer seeking to
make the capture in respect to the
safety of lives of those on board the
merchant marine, although the vessel
had ceased her attempt to escape when
torpedoed
"These are not new circumstances
They have been in the minds of states.
men and international iurists through,
out the development of naval warfare
and the government of the United
States does not understand that they
have ever been held to alter the prin.
ciples of humanity upon which it has
insisted Nothing but forcible resis
tance or continued efforts to escape
by flight when ordered to stop for the
purpose of visit on the part of the
merchant marine has ever been hell
to forfeit the lives of her passengers
or crew. The government of the
United States, however, does not un
derstand that the imperial German
government is seeking in this case tt
relieve itself of liability, but only in
tends to set forth the circumstances
which led the commander of the sub
marine to allow himself to be hurried
into the course of which he took.
Lusitania Not Armed
"Your excellency's note in discuss
ing the loss of American lives result
ing from the sinking of the steam
ship Lusitania, adverts at some length
to certain information which the i'm
perial government has received with
regard to the character and outfit Of
that vessel, and your eXcellency eX
presses the fear that this information
may not have been brought to the at
tention of the government of The
United States. 1t is stated in the note
that the Lusitania was undoubtedly
equipped with masked guns supplied
with trained gunners and special am
munition transporting troops from
Canada, carrying cargo not permit
ted under the laws of the United
States to a vessel also carrying pas
Sengers and serving in virtual effect
an auxiliary to the naval forces Of
Great Britain. Fortunately these are
matters concerning which the govern
ment of the United States is in a pO
sition to give the imperial German
government official information. OF
all the acts alleged in your excellen.
cy's note, if true, the government OF