The Alaska daily empire., 1915-06-17

Principles of Humanity Unaitered
 '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 contendiug that an effort on the part of a merchantmen to escape cap ure and secure assistance alters the obligation to the officer seeking to capture in respect to the safety of the lives of those on board the mer chantman. although the vessel has ceased her attempt Go escape when Itorpedoed
 "These are not new circumstances They have been in minds of statesmen and of international iurists through out the development of naval warfare and the government of the United States does not understand that they have ever been held to alter the priu. ciples of humanity upon which 1t has insisted. Nothing but actual forci blc 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 and crew. The govern. ment of the United States. however does not understand that the imper ! ial German government is seeking in this case to relieve itself of liability but only intends to set forth the cir cumstances which led the commando CT of the submarine to allow himself to be hurried into the course which he took.
 Assures Germany Lusitania Was
 Unarmed ~-
 Your Excellency's note. in discus sing the loss of American lives re- sultng from the sinking Of the steam. ship Dusitania, adverts at some length to certain information which the i'm perial German government has re. received with regard to the character and outfit of that vessel. and your ex. cellency expresses the fear that this information may not have been brought Co the attention of the gov ernment of the United States It 'is stated in the note that the Lusitania was undoubtedly equipped with mask ed guns. supplied with trained gun ners and special ammunition, trans porting troops from Canada, carrying 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 forces of Great Britain. Fortu- nately these are matters concerning which the government Of the United States is in a position to give the imperial German government official Information.
 "Of the facts alleged in your ex- celency's note. if true. the govern ment of the United States would have been bound to take official cogni- zance in performing its recognized duty as a neutral power and enforc- ing its national laws. It was its duty to see that the Lusitania was not arm ed for offensive action that she was not serving as a transport, that she did not carry cargo prohibited by the statutes of the United States and that if in fact she was a naval ves- sel of Great Britain she should not receive clearance as a merchantman; and it performed that duty and en- forced its statutes with stupendulous vigilance through its regularly con stituted officials lt is able to as- sure the imperial German government that 1t has been misinformed.
 Willing to Receive Evidence
 If the imperial German govern ment should deem itself to be in pos. session Of sufficient evidence that the officials of the United States did not perform these duties with thorough. ness the government of the United States sincerely hopes that it will sub. init that evidence for consideration.
 Whatever may be the contention Of the imperial German government regarding the cargo of contraband Of war on board the Lusitania or regard ing the explosion of that material by torpedo. it need only be said that in the view of this government these contentious are irrelevant to the Ques- tions of the legality of the methods used by the German naval authori- ties in sinking that vessel
 But the sinking of passenger ships involves principles of humanity which throw into the backgrund any special circumstances of detail that may be thought to affect the cases. principles. which lift it. as the imperial govern ment will no doubt be quick to rec ognize and acknowledge out of the class or ordinary subjects of diplomat ic discussion or international contro- i versy.
 Greater Than Rights of Commerce.
 Whatever be the facts regarding the Lusitania. the principal fact is that great steamer primarily and chiefly a conveyance for passengers and carrying more than 1000 souls who had no part or lot in the com iuct of the war. was torpedoed and sunk without so much as a challenge pr a warning, and that men, women md children were sent to their death n circumstances unparalleled in his. .ory of modern warfare. The fact hat more than 100 American citizens were among those who perished made t the duty of the government of the United States to speak of these things and once more, with solemn emphasis