The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-06-18
WILSON SENDS
SECOND NOTE
TO GERMANY
BERLIN MUST RECOGNIZE LAW
Full RIGHTS OF AMERICANS
TO TRAVEL ON HIGH SEAS.
INSISTS UPON CIVILIZED WARFARE
American Lives and American Ships
Must Be Safeguarded-Asks For As
surances That This Will Be Done
In Future.

Washington, D. C.-The text of the
American rejoinder to the German gov
ernment's reply to the note following
the sinking of the Lusitania follows:
The Secretary of State, ad interim, to
the American Ambassador to Ber-
lin, Department of State.
Washington, D. c..
American Ambassador, Berlin: You
are instructed to deliver textually the
following note to the minister of the
general affairs:
In compliance with your excellency's
request, | did not fail to transmit to
my government Immediately upon the
receipt of your note Of May % in reply
to my note of May 10 and your sup
Elementary note of June l, setting
forth the conclusions so far as reach
ed by the Imperial German govern
ment concerning the attacks on the
American steamers Gushing and Gulf
light. l am now instructed by my
government to communicate the fol.
lowing in reply:
The government of the United States
notes with qualification the full rec
ignition by the Imperial German
government in discussing the cases of
the Cushing and the Gulflight, of the
principle of freedom of all parts of
the open seas to neutral ships and
the frank willingness of the Imperial
government to admit and meet it's liza
bility where the fact of attack upon
neutral ships (which have not been
guilty of any hostile act" by German
aircrafts or vessels of war is salts
factorily established; and the govern.
ment of the United States will, in due
course, lay before the Imperial Ger.
man government, as it requests, full
information concerning the attack on
the steamer Gushing.
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 government con
tending that an effort on the part OF
the merchantmen to escape capture
or secure assistance alters the obliga
ton of the officer seeking to make
the capture, in respect of the safety
of lives Of those on board the mer
chairman, although the vessel had
ceased her attempt to escape when
torpedoed.
These are not new circumstances
They have been in the minds OF
statesmen and international jurists
throughout the 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 insisted
Nothing but actual, forcible resist.
ance or continued efforts to escape
by flight when ordered to stop for the
purpose OF visit on the part of the
merchantmen has ever been held to
forfeit the lives of her passengers OIL
crew.
The government of the United
States, however, does not understand
that the Imperial German government
is seeking in this case to relieve itself
of liability, but only intends to sci
forth the circumstances which lead
the commander of the submarine to al
low himself to be hurried into the
course which he took.
Your excellencys note, in discus.
sing the loss of American lives result
ing from the German sinking of the
steamship Lusitania, adverts at some
length to carry information which the
Imperial German government has re
ceived with regard to the character
and outfit of that vessel and your ex
cellency expresses the fear that this
information may not have been
brought to the attention of the gov
eminent Of the United States. 1t is
said in the note that the Lusitania
was undoubtedly equipped with mask
ed guns supplied with trainers snd
special ammunition, transporting these
supplies from Canada, carrying car
go not permitted under the laws oil
the United States to vessels also car
rying passengers and serving in vir
tual effect as an auxiliary to the nava
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 informa
ton, of the facts alleged in your ex
cellency's note. 1t is true, the gov
eminent of the United States would
have been bound to take official cog