Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1915-06-18

hostile act by German aircraft or yes
seis 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 steamer
Gushing.
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 surprised
to find the imperial German govern
ment contending that an effort on the
part of a merchantmen to escape cap
ture and secure assistance alters the
obligation of the officer seeking to
make the capture in respect to the
safety Of the lives Of those on board
the merchantmen, although the vessel
has ceased her attempt to escape
when torpedoed.
Principles Do Not Alter.
These are not new circumstances.
They have been IN the minds Of states
men and Of international juristS
throughout the development 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
it has insisted. Nothing but actual
forcible resistance or continued efforts
ito escape by flight when ordered to
stop for the purpose of visit on the
vt Of In no "
been held to forfeit the lives of her
passengers or crew. The government
Of the United States, however, does
not understand that the imperial Ger
man government is seeking in this
case to relieve itself Of liability, but
stances which led the commander of
the submarine to allow himself to be
hurried into the course which he took
Gives Officia! information.
Your eXcelIency's note, in discuss
ing the loss Of American lives re
sulting from the sinking of the steam
ship Lusitania, adyerts at some length
to certain information which the In
perial German government has receiY-
ed with regard to the character and
outfit of that vessel. and your excel
lency expresses the fear that this i'll
formation may not have been brought
to the attention of the government of
the United States. It is stated in the
note that the L4usitanai was und0ubted-
~ equipped with masked guns supplied
with trained gunneTs and special am
muniti0n, Transporting troops from
Canada, carrying a cargo not permitted
under the laws OF the United States
to a vessel also carrying passengers.
and serving, in virtual effect, as an
auxiliary to the naval force Of Great
Britain Fortunately these are matters
concerning which the government Of
the United States is in a position to
give the Imperial German government
official information.
Lusitania Declared Unarmed.
"Of the facts alleged in your excel
lency's note, if true, the government
Of the United States would have been
bound to take official cognizance in
performing its recognized duty as a
neutral power and in enforcing it's ma
tiOnal laws. 1t was its duty TO see
to it that the Lusitania was not armed
for offensive action, that she was not
serving as a transport, that she did not
carry a cargo prohibited by the sta
tutes of the United States and that, if
in fact she was naval vessel Of Great
Britain, she should not receive clear
ance as a merchantmen; and it per
formed that duty and enforced its
statutes with scrupulous vigilance
through its regularly constituted Off
Gals. 1t is able, therefore, TO assure
the Imperial German government that
it has been misinfOrmed. If the I'M
perial German government should
deem itself to be in possession OF con
vincing evidence that the officials Of
the government Of the United States
did not perform these duties with thor
ou%hness the government Of the Unit
ed States sincerely hopes that it will
submit that evidence for consideration.
German Contentious Irrelevant.
"Whatever may be the contentious
Ci TIE luJjGIldl J6IDldu GOV I'll HllIGUL IT,
garding the carriage Of cOntraDand Of
war On board the Lusitania or regard
ing the explosion of that material by
the torpedo, it need only be said that
in the view of this government these
contentious are irrelevant TO the Ques-
ton CT legality Of the methods used
by the German naval authorities in
sinking the vessel.
But the sinking of the passenger
ships involves principles of humanity
which throw into the background any
special circumstances of detail that
may be thought TO affect the cases,
principles which lift it, as the ImDe-
rial German government will no doubt
be quick to recognize and acknoWl-
edge. out Of the class of ordinary sub
jects of diplomatic discussion or of in
ternational controversy. Whatever be
the other facts regarding the Lusi-
tania, the principal fact is that great
steamer, primarily and chiefly con
veyance for passengers and carrying
more than a thousand souls who had
no part or lot in the conduct of the
war, was tOrpedOed and sunk without