The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-06-15
Department of State,
Washington, June 8, 1915

washington, June 9, 1915.
American ambassador. Berlin.
You are instructed to deliver tex
tually the following note to the min.
lister of foreign affairs:
In compl ance with your excellen-
cy's request, | did not fail to trans.
NIT to my government Immediately
upon their receipt your note of May
2S In reply to my note of May'15, and
your supplementary note of June l.,
setting forth the conclusions so far
as reached by the imperial German
government concerning the attacks on
the American steamers Gushing and
Gulflight. I am now instructed by my
government to communicate the fol-
lowing in reply:
The government of the United
States notes with gratifi sation the
full recognition by the imperial Ger.
man government in discussing the
cases Of the Cushing and the Gulfight
OF the principle Of the freedom of all
parts Of the open sea to neutral ships
and the frank willingness of the i'm.
perial government to acknowledge
and meet its liability where the fact
OF an attack upon neutral ships
which have not been guilty of any
hostile act" by German aircraft or
vessels Of war is satisfactorily estab.
lished, and the government of the
United States will in due course lay
before the imperial German govern.
ment, as It requests, full information
concerning the attack on the steam.
er Cushing.
Assumes German Liability
With regard to the sinking of the
steamer Falaba by which an Ameri.
can citizen lost his life. the govern.
ment Of the United States is surpris.
ed to find the imperial German gov.
eminent contending that an effort on
the part Of merchantmen to escape
capture and secure assistance alters
the obligation Of the officer seeking
to make the capture In respect Of
the safety of the lives Of those on
board the merchantmen, although the
vessel has ceased her attempt to es.
cape when torpedoed. These are not
new circumstances. They have been
In the minds of statesmen and of In.
ternational jurists throughout the de.
velopment of naval warfare, and the
government of the United States does
not understand that they have ever
been held to alter the principles Of
humanity upon which 1t has insisted.
Nothing but actual forcible resistance
or continued efforts to escape by
Hight when ordered to stop for the
purpose of visit on the part of the
merchantmen has ever been held to
forfeit the lives Of her passengers or
crew. The government of the United
States, however, does not understand
that the imperial German government
is seeking in this case to relieve 1t.
self of liability, but only intends to
set forth the circumstances which led
the commander of the submarine to
allow himself to be hurried into the
course which he took.
Lusitania Case
Your excellency's note in discussing
the loss of American lives resulting
from the sinking of the steamship
Lusitania. adverts at some length to
certain information which the imperi.
al German government has received
with regard TO the character and out
I fit OF that vessel, and your excellen.
cy expresses the fear this inform.
alton may not have been brought TO
the attention of the government of the
United States, 1t is stated in the noee
that the Lusitana was undoubtedly
equipped with masked guns, supplied
with trained gunners and special am.
munition, transporting troops from
Canada, carrying cargo not permit.
ted under the laws of the United
states to vessel also carrying pas.
sengers, and serving in virtual eff.
feet, as an auxiliary to the naval fore.
es of Great Britain.
lusitanla Not Armed
Fortunately, these are matters con.
'erning which the government of the
United States is in a position to give
the imperial German government Of
hcial information. OF the facts al.
legged in your excellency's note IL true
the government Of the United States
would have been bound to take Off.
cial cognizance in performing its rec.
ogn.zed duty as "A neutral power and
IN enforcing its national laws. It was
It's duty to see to it that the Lusitania
was not armed for offensive action;
that she was not serving as a trans.
port; that she did not carry cargo