Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-10
GIVE NO INDEMNITY
IN ARABIC DISPUTE
German Government Unable to
Acknowledge Any Obliga-
ton in Matter.
REGRETS ANY LOSS OF LIFE
Even if Submarine Commander
Was at Fault, Not Incumbent
on Berlin to Pay.


In it's note to tho United states on
the sinking Of tho White Star liner
Arabic. the German government says
that II most deeply regrets that lives
were lost through the action OF the
commander: 1t particularly expresses
this regret to the government Of the
United states on account of the death
of American citizens" and adds:
The German government is unable.
however. to acknowledge any ohliga-
tion to grant indemnity in the matter.
even II the commander should have
been mistaken as TO the aggressive in
tentions of tho Arabic"
ARABIC Is RECOGNIZED
AS AN ENEMY VESSEL
Text of the note follows:
On August 10 n German submarine
stopped the English steamer Dunsley
about sixteen nautical miles south OF
kinsale. and was on The point Of sink
ing the prize by gunf1rc after the crew
had left the vessel At this moment
the commander saw 81 large steamer
making directly toward him. This
steamer, as developed later. was the
Arabic. She was recognized as an
enemy vessel as she did not ny any
flag and bore no neutral markings
When she approached she altered
her original course. but then again
pointed directly toward the submarine
From Glis the commander became con-
vinced that the steamer had the in
tention of attacking and ramming him.
I'm order 10 anticipate this attack,
he gave orders for the submarine to
,, dive. and fred torpedo at the steamer.
After firtng,, he. convinced himself that
the people on board were being res
cued in fifteen boats.
According to his Instructions the
commander was not allowed to attack
the Arabic without warning and with
out saving the lives, unless the ship
attempted to escape or offered resist
ance. He was forced. however, to con-
clude from the attendant circumstances
that the Arabic planned violent at
tack on the submarine
FIRED UPON FEW DAYS
BEFORE IN IRISH SEA
This conclusion is all the more OBJ
vious he had been fired upon at
great distance in the Irish Sea on Au-
gust l4-that is, few days before
by a large passenger steamer. ap-
rarcntly belonging to the British
ROYAL Mail Steam Packet Company,
which he had neither attacked nor
stopped
The German government most deep
ly regrets that lives were lost through
the action of the commander 1t par
ticularly expresses this regret to tho
government of the United States on
account of the death OF American
citizens.
The German government is unable.
however, to acknowledge any oblga-
ton to grant indemnity in the matter.
even If the commander should have
been mistaken as 10 the aggressive in
tentions of the Arabic.
IF IT should prove TO be the case
that II is impossible for the German
and American governments to reach n
harmonious opinion on this point. the
German government would he prepared
TO submit the difference OF opinion
being a question Of international law.
10 The Hague tribunal for arbitration.
pursuant to article rs OF The Hague
Convention for the pacific settlement of
international disputes.
"In so doing ii assumes that, as a
motter OF course. the arbitral decision
shall not he admitted TO have the i'm
portnnce of n general decision on tho
permissibility or the converse under
international law of German subma-
rine warfare"