Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-05-19

American note to Germany:
Department of State, Washington,
May 13. 1915.
1.-The secretary of state to the Ameri
can ambassador at Berlin:
please call on minister of foreign
affairs and, after reading to him TINS
communication, leave with him a
I'm view of recent acts of the Ger
a authorities in violation OF Amer
ican rights on the high seas which
eliminated in the torpedoing and sink
ing of the British steamship Lusi-
tania on May Z. 1915, by which over
100 American citizens lost their lives.
It is clearly wise and desirable that
| the government of the United States
| and the imperial German government
should come to a clear and fuli under
| standing as to he grave situation
which has resulted.
"The sinking of the British passen-
ger steamer Falaba by a German sub
marine on March %. through which
| Leon G.. T%hresher. an American citizen.
vas drowned: the attack on April ~
IN the American vessel Cushing by a
German %aeroplane; the t%orpedoing on
| Nav / of the American vessel Gulfltght
oy a German submarine. as a result of
which two Or more American citizens
net their death. and finally the torpe-
\ uOlTE dHu SlIlhAll6 vi I4lS
Lusitania, constitute a series of events
which the government of the United
States has observed with growing con-
.ern, distress and anazement.
Germany's Past Attitude.
ened attitude hitherto assumed by the
imperial German government in mat
!ers of international right and partic-
ularly with regard to the freedom of
che seas; having learned to recognize
the German views and the German in
eluence in the field of international OBJ
igation as always engaged upon the
side OF justice and humanity; and av-
ing understood the Instructions of inn
perial German government to it's naval
commanders to be upon the same plane
Of humane action prescribed by the
naval codes of other nations. the gov
eminent of the United States was loath
to b%elieve-it cannot now bring itself to
believe-that these acts, so absolutely
contrary to the rules, the practices, and
the spirit of modern warfare, could
ave the countenance or sanction Of
that great government. 1t feels 1t to be
it's duty. therefore, to address the inn
them with the utmost frankness, and
in the earnest hope that it is not mis-
taken in expecting action on the part
of the imperial German government
which will correct the unfortunate inn
pressions which have been created and
IN GtS postum VI
that government with regard to the
sacred freedom of the seas.
THE government OF the United
States has been appraised that the inn
perial German government considered
themselves to be obliged by the extra
ordinary circumstances of the present
var and the measures adopted by their
aGversaries in seeking to cut Germany
off from all to adopt meth
DDS of retaliation which go much be-
yond the ordinary methods of war
fare at sea, in the proclamation of a
war zone from which they have warned
neutral ships to keep away.
Americas First Warning.
This government has already taken
occasion to inform the imperial Ger
man government hat it canno admit
the adoption of such measures or such
a warning of danger to operate as in
any degree al a~bbreviation of this
rights of American ship masters or of
American citizens bound on lawful err
cands as passengers on merchant ships
Of belligerent nationality, N that it
must hold the imperial German gov
to a strict accountability for
my infringement Of those rights, in
.entional or incidental. 1t does not I'M
ierstand the imperial German govern
nent to question those rights. 1t as
sumes. on the contrary. that the i'm
oerial government accept. as of course.
.1IC RUE tIldt III lSCS VI AOlNCOlllOd-
:ants. whether they be OF neutral citi-
Genship or citizens of any OF the ma
lions at war, cannot lawfully or right
fully be put in jeopardy by the capture
Or destruction of any unarmed mer-
chairman, and recognizes also, as all
other nations do. the obligation to take
the usual precaution of visit and
search to ascertain whether a sus-
pected merchantmen is in fact of bel
ligerent nationality or in fact carrying
e~ontraband of war under a neutral flag.
1.-The government of the United
States therefore desires to call the at
.ention OF the imperial German gov
arnment, with the utmost earnestness.
% the fact that the objection to their
present method of attack against the
kade of their enemies lies in the prac-
dcal impossibility OF employing sub
marines in the destruction OF COM
merce without disregarding those rules
If fairness. reason, justice n human
rs imperative.
Danger Of Subs Warfare.
1T is impossible for the officers of
2 submarine to visit a merchantmen at
sea and examine her papers n cargo
It is practically impossible for them to
make a prize of her and if they can
not put u prize crew on board of her,
they cannot sink her without leaving
her crew and all on board her to the
mercy of the sea in her small boats
These facts, 1t is understood, the i'm
perial German government frankly
admits. We are informed that in the
instances of which we have spoken
time enough for even that poor meas
ure of safety was not given. and In al
feast two of the cases cited, not sc
much rs Q warning WAS received.