The weekly soliphone., 1915-06-18

lre]Onder TO the German governments reply
following the sinking of the Lustania follows:
THE Secretary of State AID Interim to the American AM
bassador at Berlin:
Department of State, Washington, June 9, 1915.
American Ambassador, Berlin
You are instructed to deliver textually the follow
ling note to the minister of foreign affairs:
In compliance with your excellency's request did
not fail to transmit to my government Immediately upon
their receipt your note of May g. reply to my note of
May and your supplementary note of June l. setting
forth the conclusions far reached by the imperial
German government concerning the attacks the Am
erican steamers Gushing and Gufght. I am now in
lstructed by my government to communicate the follow
ling reply:
The government of the United States notes with
qualification the full recognition by the Imperial Ger
man government, in discussing the of the Cushing
and the Guflght of the principle of the freedom of all
parts of the open to neutral ships and the frank will
ingness Of the imperial German government to acknow
edge and meet it's liability where the fact of attack upon
neutral ships (which have not been guilty of any hostile
act by German aircraft vessels of satisfactorily
established and the government of the United States
will in due lay before the imperial German gov
enmen requests, full information concerning the
attack on the steamer Gushing.
German Attitude in Falaba Incident a Surprise.
With regard to the sinking of the steamer Falaba
by which American citizen lost his life, the govern
ment of the United States is surprised to find the mper
ial German government cOntendng that effort
the part of merchantmen to escape capture and
assistance alters the obligation of the officer seek
ling to make the capture respect OF the safety of the
lives OF those board the merchantmen although the
vessel had ceased her attempt escape when topedoed
These not circumstances. They have been in
the minds OF statesmen and of international juries
throughout the development of naval warfare and the
government Of the United States does not understand
that they have been held to alter the principles of
humanity upon which it has insisted Nothing but actual
forcbe resistance continued efforts to escape by
flight when ordered to stop for the purpose of visit
the part of the merchantmen has been held to for
felt the lives OF her passengers The govern
ment of the United States, however, does not under
stand that the imperial German government is seeking
in this to relieve itself of liability but only intends
to set forth the circumstances which led the command
of the submarine to allow himself to be hurried into
the which he took
Germany Misinformed to Lusitania's Cargo.
Your eXcelency note in discussing the loss of Am
ercan lives resulting from the sinking of the steamship
ustana adverts at some length to certain information
which the imperial German government has received
with regard to the character and outfit of that vessel
and your eXceency expresses the fear that this nOr
nation may not have been brought to the attention of
the United States is stated in the note that the Lus
tana undoubtedly equipped with masked guns sup
piled with trained gunners and special ammunition
transporting troops from Canada carrying cargo not
permitted under the laws of the United States to vessel
also carrying passengers, and serving in virtual effect
as an auxiliary to the naval forces of Great Britain For
tnately these are matters concerning which the gov
eminent of the United States is in position to give the
imperial German government official information.
Of the facts alleged in your excellency's note if
true the government of the United States would have
been bound to take official cognzance in performing it's
recognized duty neutral power and in enforcing its
national laws 1t was its duty to to it the Lusania
was not armed for offensive action, that she was not
serving transport that she did not carry cargo
prohibited by the statutes of the United States and that
if in fact she naval vessel of Great Britain she
should not receive clearance merchantmen and it
performed that duty and enforced its statutes with scr
puous vigilance through it's regularly constituted Off
Gals 1t is able, therefore, to the imperial Ger
man government that it has been misinformed.
If the imperial German government should deem it.
self to be in possession of convincing evidence that the
officials of the government of the United States did not
perform these duties with thoroughness the government
of the United States sincerely hopes that it will submit
that evidence for consideration.
Sinking of the Lusitana Unparalleled in Warfare.