The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-06-16

loiloNuiS TIC oiiNHiS " 1A'S A"oi'"i'''
follows:
The Secretary of State ad interim
to the American Ambassador to Ber-
lin:
Department OF State,
Washington, June 9, 1915.
american Ambassador, Berlin:
you are instructed to deliver text
ually the following note to the minister
of foreign affairs:
I'm compliance with your excellen~
cys request did not fail to transmit
to my government Immediately upon
their receipt your note Of May 18th in
reply to my note of May 18th, and your
supplementary note OF June LIST, set
ting forth the conclusions SO far as
reached by the imperial German gov
eminent concerning the attacks on the
American steamers Gushing and Gull
flight | am now instructed by my gov
eminent to communicate the following
reply:
The government of the United
States notes with qualification the tuil
recognition by the imperial German
government, in discussing the case Of
the Gushing 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 imperial gov
eminent to acknowledge and meet its
liability where the fact Of attack upon
neutral ships which have not been
guilty OF any hostile act by German
aircraft or vessels of war is satisfactor-
lily established; and the government OF
the United States will in due course
lay before the imperial German gov
eminent as it requests full information
concerning the attack on the steamer
Gushing.
Surprised at German View.
With regard to the sinking OF the
steamer Falaba, by which an American
citizen lost his life, the government OF
the United States is surprised to find
the imperial German government con-
tending that an effort on the part OF
merchantmen to escape capture and Sc
cure 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, al
though the vessel has ceased her at
tempt to escape when torpedoed. These
are not new circumstances. They have
been in the minds of statesmen and OF
international jurists throughout the de-
velopment Of the naval warfare and the
government Of the United States does
not understand that they have ever
been held to alter the principles OF hui
mainly upon which it has insisted.
Nothing but actual forcible resistance
or continued efforts to escape by flight
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 gov
eminent OF the United States, howev-
er, does not understand that the I'M
perial German government IS seeking
in this case to relieve itself OF liability,
but only intends to set forth circum-
stances which led the commander OF
the submarine to allow himself to be
hurried into the course which he took.
Your excellency;s note. in discuss
ing the loss OF American lives result
ing from the sinking OF the steamship
Lusitania, 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 eNcellency ex-
presses the fear that this information
may not have been brought to the. at
tention OF the government of the Unit
ed States. 1t is stated in the note that
the Lusitania was undoubtedly equip
ped with masked guns, supplied with
trained gunncrs and special ammuni-
ton, transporting troops from Canada,