The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-06-16
V eovernment to communicate the fol-

my government to communicate the fol-
lowing reply:
The government of the United States
notes with qualification the full recoSni-
tion by the imperial German government,
in discussing the cases of the Gushing
and the Guiflight, of the principle OF the
freedom of all parts of the open sea to
neutral ships and the frank willingness
of the imperial German government to
acknowledge and meet its liability where
the fact of attack upon neutral ships
(which have not been guilty OF any hos
tile action" by German aircract or vessels
of war is satisfactorily established; and
the government of the United states will
in due course lay before the imperial Ger
man government, as it requests, full in
formation concerning the attack ON the
steamer Gushing.
Sinking of FaIaba.
With regard to the sinking OF the
steamer Falaba, by which American
citizen lost his life, the government Of
the United States is surprised to find
the imperial German government con-
tending that an effort of a merchantmen
to escape capture and secure assistance
alters the obligation of the officer seek
ing to make the capture IT. respect to
the safety of the lives of those on board
the merchantmen, although the vessel
| had ceased her attempt to escape when
| tOrpedoed. These are not new circunl-
| stances. They have been in the minds
| of statesmen and of international jurisJs
| throughout the development of naval
| warfare, and the government of the Unit
| ed States does not understand that they
have ever been held to alter the princi-
pies of humanity upon which 1t has in
| sisted. Nothing but actual forcible re-
sistance or continued efforts to escape
| by fight when ordered to stop for The
| purpose of visit or the part of the mer-
| chairman has ever been held to forfeit
| the lives OF her passengers or crew. The
1 $50 T-,,fS S1l N,AA
| ever, does not understand that the i'm
| perial German government is seeking in
| this case to relieve itself of liability, but
| only intends to set forth the circum-
| stances which led the commander of the
| submarine to allow himself to be hIIr
ried into the course which he took.
Case of Lusitania.
Your excellency's note, in discussing
| the loss Of American lives resulting from
| the sinking of the steamship T.usitania,
| adverts at some length to certain infor-
| nation which the imperial German gov
| ernment has received with regard to the
| character and outfit of that vessel. and
| your excellency expresses the fear that
| this information may not have been
i brought to the attention of the govern
| ment OF the United States. 1t is stated
in the note that the Lusitania was un-
doubtedy equipped with masked guns.
supplied with trained gunners and spe-
| cial ammunition. transporting troops
|
| mitted under the laws of the United
| States to a vessel also carrying passen-
gers, and serving in virtual effect as an
auxiliary to the naval forces of Great
Britain. fortunately, these are matters
| concerning which the government of the
United States is in n position to give the
| imperial German government official IN
formation. OF the facts alleged in your
excellency's note, if true, the government
| of the United States would have been
| 70 folT f.io1 L.,
forming its recognized duty as a neutral
power and in enforcing its national laws.
1t was its duty to see to 1t that the
Lusitania was not armed for offensive
action, that she was not serving as a
transport, that she did not carry a cargo
prohibited by the statutes of the United
States. and that if in fact she was a
naval vessel of Great Britain she should
not receive clearance as merchantmen;
and 1t rer0rmed that duty and enforced
its statutes with scrupulous vigilance
through tbs regularly constituted officials
II Is able, therefore to assure the Inn
| perfal German government that II has
been misinformed. If the imperial Ger
man government should deem itself to- pe
| in possession of convincing evidence that
the officials OF the government of the
| United States did not perform these d1I-
| ties with thoroughness the government
of the United States sincerely hopes that
1t win submit the evidence for considera-
tion.
Whatever may be the contentious Of
the imperial German government regard
ing the carriage of contraband of war or
beard the Lusitania, or regarding the
explosion of that material by the tor.
pedo, it need only be said that in tn,
? view of this government these conten-
tions are irrelevant to the question o.
the legality of the methods used by thi
; German naval authorities in sinking th,
vessel
But the sinking Of passenger ships in,
' wolves principles of humanity Will
, throw into the background any specia
: circumstance of detail that may bl
! thought to affect the cases, principles
: which lift it. as the imperial German
: gov ernment viii no doubt be quick u
recognize and acknowledge. out Of th'
class Of ordinary subjects of diplomats
| discussion or OF international contro
yersy Whatever be the other facts Ee
Eardng the Lusftania, the principal fac
Is that a great steamer, primarily ant
| chiefly q conveyance for passengers. ant
carrying more than thousand souls VIII
had not part or lot in the conduct Of IN
war. was tofpedoed and sunk without 3
much as a challenge or warning and tina
men, women and children were ser
their death in circumstance unparallele
In modern warfare The fact that NOR
!, than one hundred American citizens Wer
among those who persisted made II IN
duty of the government OF the Unite
States to SPEAK Of these thinss and one
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