Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-06-12
REJO|hDER 0F UNITED ~
STATES TO|GERMANY

cerely hopes that 1t will submit that
evidence for consideration.
Whatever may be the contention
Of the imperial German government
regarding the carriage of contraband
Of war on board the Lusitania or re-
garding the explosion of that material
by the torpedo it need only be said
that in the view of this government
these contentious are irrelevant to the
question of the legality Of the meth
DDS used by the German naval au-
thorities in sinking that vessel.
Principles Involved.
But the sinking of passenger ships
involves principles of humanity which
throw into the background any special
circumstances of detail that may be
thought to affect the cases, principles
which lift 1t, as the imperial govern
nize and acknowledge. out of the class
of ordinary subjects of diplomatic dis
cussion or of international contro-
versy.
| Whatever be the other facts regard
i ing the Lusitania, the principal fact
is that great steamer, primarily and
| chiefly conveyance for passengers
and carrying more than 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 warning, and that men, women
| and children were sent to their death
in circumstances unparalleled in mod
l ern warfare. The fact that more than
| among those who perished made it the
| duty of the government of the United
States to speak of these things and
| once more, with solemn emphasis, to
| call the attention of the imperial Ger
| man government to the grave RESPONSE
| bility which the government of the
| United States conceives that it has
| incurred in this tragic occurrence. and
to the indisputable principle upon
which that responsibility rests.
| Contention of U. S.
THE government of the United
| States is contending for something
l much greater than mere rights of
property or privileges of commerce.
1t is contending for nothing less high
l and sacred than the rights of human
| ity, which every government honors
| itself in respecting and which no gov
| ernment is justified in resigning on
| behalf of those under its care and au-
| thority. Only her actual resistance to
| capture or refusal to stop when ord
| cred to do so for the purpose of visit
l could have afforded the commander of
the submarine any justification for so
much as putting the lives of those on
| board the ship in jeopardy. The prin-
| cipal the government OF the United
| States understands the explicit In
| structions issued on August 8, 1914,
by the imperial German admiralty to
nized and embodied, as do the naval
codes of all other nations; and upon
it every traveller and seaman has
/ right to depend. 1t Is upon this prin-
| ciple of humanity as well as upon the
law founded upon this principle that
the United States must stand.
Offer of Services.
The government of the United
States is happy to observe that your
OXcellency's note close with the init
nation that the imperial German gov.
| ernment Is willing, now as before, to
accept the good offices OF the United
States in an attempt to come to an
understanding with the government of
Great Britain by which the character
and conditions Of the war upon the
sea may be changed. The government.
\ of the United States would consider it
a privilege thus to serve its friends
and the world. 1t stands ready at any
time to convey to either government
any intimation or suggestion the 9TH
er may be willing to have 1t convey
and cordially invites the imperial Ger
man government to make use of its
services in this way at its convenience.
The whole world is concerned in any
thing that may bring about even par.
tial accommodation of interests or in
any way mitigate the terrors of the
present distressing conflict.
I'm the meantime, Whatever ar
ransement may happily he made be.
tween the parties to the war, and
whatever may in the opinion of the i'm
perial German government have been
the provocation or the circumstantial
justification for the past acts of its
commanders at sea, the government of
the United States confidently looks to
see the justice and humanity OF the
government of Germany indicated in
all cases where Americans have been
wronged or their rights as neutrals in.
yaded.
Tine government OF the United
States therefore very earnestly and
very solemnly renews the represen.
tations OF its note transmitted to the
imperial German government on the