Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-09-16
Complete Text Of Official Com
munication at Washington
States Liner Altered Course
to Run Down Submarine.
WAS THEN TORPED0EO
Commander of the Undersea
Craft Stood by until Convinced
Passengers Were Rescued
Germany Cannot Acknowledge
Obligation of Indemnity.

Berlin, Sept. 9, via London. Sept 10. 2:ao
a. m.-.Germany's note to tho United States
bearing on the sinking of the White
Star line steamer Arabic on August 10
which was communicated to the Amer.
lean ambassador, James w. Gerard. for
transmission to Washington. is in the form
Of memorandum under date of Septem-
Der I, the text OF which follows:
ION August 10 German submarine
stopped the English steamer Dunsley
about Is nautical miles south of Kinsalc
and was on the point Of sinking the prize
by gun fire after the crew had left the
vessel. At this moment the commander
saw large steamer making directly to-
ward him. This steamer as developed
later was the Arabic She was recognized
as an enemy vessel, as she did not fly any
flag ard bore no neutral markings.
When she approached she altered her
original course, but then again pointed
directly towards the submarine From
this the commander became convinced
that the steamer had the intention of
attacking and ramming him. In order
to anticipate this attack he gave orders
for the submarine to dive and fired n tor
pedo at the steamer After firing he con-
WINGED himself that the people on board
were being rescued In IL boats.
According to his instructions the COM
mander was not allowed to attack the
I Arabic without warning and without
saving the lives unless the ship attempted
| to escape or offered resistance. He was
! forced. however. to conclude from the
attendant circumstances that the Arabic
| planned a violent attack on the sub
| marine.
This conclusion is all the more OBJ
vious as he had been fired upon at a
| great distance in the Irish sea on Au-
+, gust li-that is, a few days before-by q
! large passenger steamer apparently be-
| longing to the British Royal Mall Steam
Packet company, which he had neither
attacked nor stopped.
"The German government most deeply
regrets that lives were lost through the
action of the commander. 1t particu'
larly expresses this regret to the gov
eminent of the United States on &C
count of the death of American citizens
The German government Is unable
however, to acknowledge any obligation
to grant indemnity in the matter even J.
the commander should have been mistak
en- as to the aggressive intentions of thu
| Arabic
III 1t should prove to be the case tina
it is impossible for the German ant
American governments to reach har
monious opinion on this point. the Ger
man government would be prepared t
submit the difference of opinion. as be
ing n question Of international law. t
The Hague tribunal for arbitration, pur
suant to article IS Of The Hague con
vention for the pacific settlement Of In
ternational disputes
I'm so doing, 1t assumes that. as
matter of course, the arbitral decision
shall not be admitted to have the i'm
portance OF a general decision on tn
permissibility or the converse under In
ternational law Of German submarin
| warfare"