Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1915-06-17
SECOND NOTE TO GERMANY.
Evening Wisconsin.


Evening Wisconsin.
The second note Of the United States
to Germany is as friendly as the first.
1t is also as firm as the first and even
more explicit in indicating the assur-
ances which it desires from the Ger
man government
Now as heretofore the object Of the
United States is to prevent the sinking
without warning Of unarmed ships on
the high seas, and to protest against
the torpedoing of the Falaba and the
Lusitania, which involved the loss Of
American lives. The assertion Of the
German note that Lusitania was equipp-
ed with masked guns and transporting
troops from Canada and carrying a
cargo not permitted under the laws of
the United States to vessel carrying
passengers, and was serving in effect
as an auxiliary to the naval forces Of
Great Britain, is met by the statement
that these are matters in which the
government Of the United States is in
a position to give the imperial German
government information. What follows
is the tartest passage IN the communi-
cation.
"Of the facts alleged in your excel
lencys note, if true, the government
of the United States would have been
bound to take official cognizance in per-
forming It's recognized duty as neu-
trail power and in enforcing its national
laws lt was its duty to see To 1t that
the Lusitania was not armed for often
sive action, that she was not serving as
a transport, that she did not carry q
cargo prohibited by the statutes of the
United States. and that, If in fact she
was a naval vessel of Great Britain,
she could not receive clearance as a
merchantmen and it performed that
duty and enforced it's statutes with
scrupulous vigilance through it's regu-
larly constituted officials.
The note goes on to declare that what
ever the contentious of the imperial
German government regarding the car
riage of contraband Of war by the Lusi-
tania, they are irrelevant to the ques-
ton of the legality of the methods used
in sinking the vessel that
THE principal fact is that great
steamer, primarily and chiefly con
veyance for passengers, and carrying
more thar a thousand souls who had no
part or lot in the conduct Of the war,
was torpedoed and sunk. without so
much as a challenge or a warning, and
that men, women and children were
sent to their death in circumstances IN
parallel in modern warfare,
THE government of the United
States is contending Tor something much
greater than mere rights Of property
or privilege of commerce. 1t is CON
tending for nothing less high and sacred
than the life and rights Of humanity,
which every government honors in itself
in respecting and which no government
is justified in resigning on behalf of
those under it's care and authority.
Americans who have given Mr. Bryan
credit for consistency and patriotism
will wonder why his name could not
have been signed to this temperate and
proper communication, which bears the
signature Of Robert Lansing, Secre-
tary of State ad interim. The note is
not an ultimatum, though it demands a
definite answer. 1t will command for
the President, who vote it, the CON
tinued confidence of Americans.
That Bryan has no sense Of loyalty to
President Wilson is manifested from the
course he is taking after leaving the
cabinet "a course which can have no
effect but to seriously embarrass the.
President
There have been men who after re-
signing from a cabinet position felt.
committed to pursuing policy of
silence Mr.. Bryan does not belong in
that class
international law is the book Of
etiquette by means Of which all nations
can behave like gentlemen.
This great war was not brought on
by red bIooded men. but by blue blooded
men assisted bv mon ,ubo hoo, -,