The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1915-06-17

ihtll reply 10 lilt note lollON
ing the sinking of the Lusltania
follows.
American Ambassador, Berlin:
You are instructed to deliver
the minister of foreign affairs:
In compliance with your excel
lency'S request did not fail TO
transmit to my government mme-
diately upon their receipt your
note of May 2S, in reply TO my
note of May 10, and your supple
mentary note of June |, setting
forth the conclusions so far rs
reached by the imperial German
government concerning the at
tacks ON the American steamers
Gushing and Gulflight. | am non
instructed by my government To
communicate the following in re
Iply:
The government of the United
States notes with qualification
the full recognition by the i'm
perial German government. in
discussing the eases of the CuSh-
ing and the Gulflight, of the
principle of the freedom of all
parts of the open sea 10 neutral
ships and the frank willingness OF
the imperial German government
TO acknowledge and meet its liza
blllty where the fact of attack
upon neutral ships which have
not been guilty of any hostile
act by the German aircraft or
vessels of war is satisfactorily eS.
tabliShed; and the government
of the United States will in due
course lay before the imperial
German government, as 1t re-
quests, full information concern.
ing the attack ON the steamer
Gushing.
With regard 10 the sinking of
the steamer Falaba, by which an
American citizen lost his life, the
government of the United States
is surprised to find the imperial
German government contending
that an effort on the part of a
merchantmen 10 escape captur,
and secure assistance alters the
obligation of the officer seeking
TO make the capture in respect of
safety of the lives of those ON
board the merchantmen, although
the vessel had ceased her at.
tempt to escape when torpedoed
These are not new circumstances
They have been in the minds OF
statesmen and of international
Juries throughout the develop
ment of naval warfare. and the
government of the United States
does not understand that they
have ever been held 10 alter the
principles of humanity upon whicl
it has insisted. Nothing but ac
tual forcible resistance or con
tlnued Efforts 10 escape by flight
when ordered to stop for the pur
pose of visit on the part of the
merchantmen has ever been held
To forfeit the lives of her paSsen
gers or crew. The government o.
the United States, however, does
not understand that the imperial
German government is seeking il
this ease to relieve itself of liabil
ity, but only intends TO set forth
the circumstances which led th,
commander of the submarine Il
allow himself to be hurried into
the course which he took.
Your excellency's note in dis
cussi0n the loss of American lives
resulting from the sinking of th,
steamship Lusitania adverts al
some length to certain informa
ton which the imperial German
government has received with re-
gard to the character and outfit
of that vessel, and your excellency
expresses the fear that this infor
nation may have been brought "a
the attention of the government
of the United States. II is stat
ed in the note that the Lusltania
was undoubtedly equipped with
masked guns, supplied with train
ed gunners and special ammuni.
ton, Transporting troops from
Canada, carrying "A cargo not per
mitted under the laws of the Unit
ed States 10 a vessel also carrying
passengers. and serving, in vir-
tual effect, as an auxiliary TO the
naval forces of Great Britain
Fortunately these are matters
concerning which the govern
ment of the United States is in a
position TO give the imperial Ger
man government official informa-
ton.
OF the facts alleged in your tx