New Britain herald., 1915-05-14
Attitude of That Country Will Decide Future Policy of This--C Communication Asserts That American
 Rights Will Be Protected
GERMAN OFFICIALS RECEIVE NOTE
Stand Taken By U g. Against Use of Submarines As Com nlerce Destroyers and Reply to German Circular of
 Regret to Neutrals Attracts Wide Comment.

taken as prize the ship could not be sunk without leaving the neutral. vessels crew to the mercy of the sea in her small boats
 It was this feature-the application of the rules. of naval prize law to the cases of neutral vessels carrying con- traband encounters by submarines which attracted attention when the German circular note to neutrals was first examined. The argument made in the American note today is de- signed to point out the inadmissibil of what had been regarded in some quarters as concessions by Germany in the treatment of neutral merchant- men. :.
 No Word From Gerard.
 Although Ambassador Gerard had been directed to notify the state de- partent of his receipt of the Ameri- can note, no word came today from him. Officials We're sure, however, that the communication had reached Berlin and undoubtedly had been pre- sented to the German foreign office. The absence of any message from MT. Gerard, they attributed to the congestion of telegraph wires in Italy.
 
 bassador, made an engagement to go to the state department, it was un- derstood, to call MT. Bryan's atten- tion to reports again published to- day purporting tos forecast arcomplete' a refusal by Gernlan Na to all stlee Amer ican rspresentat tinn. and point out that the embassy was in no way source. of them.
 Full Text of Note.
 The full text of the note was made public last night by the state depart-, mont as follows: f k
 Department of State, Washington, May IS, 1915.
 The Secretary of State to the American Ambassador at Berlin.
 Please call on the minister of for eign affairs and after reading to him | this communication, leave with him copy.
 Clear and Full Understanding.
 ssIn view of recent acts of the Ger man authorities in violation of Ameri- can rights on the high seas which eliminated in the torpedoing and sinking of the British steamship Lusitania on May ', 1915, by which 1 over one hundred American citizens lost their lives, 1t is clearly wise and desirable that the government of the United States and the imperial Ger l man government should come to a clear and full understanding as to the l grave situation which has resulted The sinking of the British .l pas I senger steamer Falaba by a German l submarine on March 2s, through 1 which Leon C. Thrasher, an Ameri- l can citizen, was drowned the attack I on April 2S on the American vessel Gushing by German aeroplane; the torpedoing on May of the American vessel Gulfiight by a German sub- marine, as a result of which two or more American citizens met their death, and, finally, the torpedoing and I sinking of the steamship Lusitania, I constitute a series of events which the I government of the United States has l observed with growing concern, dis I tress and anazement
 Believe Acts We're Not Sanctioned. I Recalling the humane and en- frightened attitude hitherto assumed I by the imperial German government in l matters Of international right, and l particularly with regard to the free l dom of the seas; having learned to | recognize the German views and Ger l man influence in the field of interna- I tional obligation as always engaged upon the side of justice and humanity; ; l and having understood the instruc- tions of the imperial German govern l ment to its naval commanders to be upon the same plane of humane action prescribed by the naval codes l of other nations, the government of the United States was loath to believe it can not now bring itself to believe that these acts, so absolutely con-
 trary to the rules the practices and 1 the spirit of modern warfare, could
 have the countenance or sanction of
 that great government. 1t feels 1t to be it's duty, therefore, to address the imperial German government con-
 cerning them with the utmost frank ness and in the earnest hope that it is
 not mistaken in expecting action on the part of the imperial German gov- ernment which will correct the un-
 fortunate impressions which have
 been created and vindicate once more the position of that government with
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