The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-05-20
NOTE INSISTS UPON ABSOLUTE
CESSATION BY GERMANY OF
SUBMARINE ATTACKS ON
SHIPS BEARING NON.
COMBATANTS.
TO LEAVE NOTHING UNDONE
TO PERFORM SACRED DUTY
Communication States That Rights Of
United States and Its Citizens Will
Be ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Elk.
pectation imperial Government
May Disavow Acts.

Washington, May 16.-The United
States government has cabled Ambas.
sador Gerard for presentation to the
German government a note calling at
tention Ito the grave situation which
has resulted" from violation of Amer
lean rights on the high seas, culminat-
ing in the sinking of the Lusitania
with a loss of more than 100 Ameri-
can lives.
Germany May Disavow Acts.
The communication expresses the
confident expectation of the United
States that the Imperial German gov
eminent may disavow the acts Of
which the government of the United
States complains, that they will make
reparation so far as reparation Is pos
sible for injuries which are without
measure and that they will take i'm
mediate steps to prevent the reoc-
.currence Of anything so obviously
subversive of the principles Of war
fare for which the Imperial German
government in the past so wisely and
so firmly commended"
u. s. &c Uphold Rights,
In its conclusion. the note states
that "the chief imperial government
will not expect the government Of the
United States to omit any word or
any act necessary to the performance
Of its sacred duty of maintaining the
right of the United States and its citi-
ems and OF safeguarding their free
exercise and enjoyment"
Text Made Public.
The text of the note made public by
the state department, is, in part, as
follows:
Department OF State, Washington.
"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 a
copy.
I'm view Of recent acts of the Ger.
man authorities in violation of Amer.
lean rights on the high seas, which
eliminated in the %torpedoing and sink
ing the British steamer Lnsitsnia on
May Z. 1915, by which owe 100 Amer
lean citizens lost their lives, 1t is
clearly wise and desirable that the
government Of the United States and
the Imperial German government
should come to a clear and full under
standing as to the grave situation
which has resulted.
The sinking of the British passen-
ger steamer Faiaba by a German sub
marine on March %, through which
Leon c. Thresher, an American citi-
zen, was drowned: the attack on April
20 on the American vessel Gushing by
q German acceptance: the torpedoing
on May i of the American vessel Gull
flight by a German submarine, as a
result OF which two or more Ameri-
can citizens met their death, and,
finally, the torpedoing and sinking of
the Lusitania, constitute a series of
events which the government of the
United States has observed with grow
ing concern, distress and amazement.
Sanctioned by Germany?
Recalling the humane and enlight.
ened attitude hitherto assumed by the
Imperial German government in mat
ters of international right and par
ticularly with regard to the freedom
Of the seas; having learned to recog-
nize the German views and the Ger
man influence in the field of interna-
tional obligation as always engaged
upon the side Of justice and human
ity; and having understood the in
structions Of the Imperial German
government to its naval commanders
to be upon the same plane OF humane
action prescribed by the naval codes
of other nations, the government of
the United States was loath TO believe
1T cannot bring itself to believe
that these acts, SO absolutely con
trary to the rules, the practices, and
the spirit of modern warfare could
have the countenance or sanction of
that great government. It feels 1t to
be its duty, therefore. to address the
Imperial German government con
corning them with the utmost frank.
ness and in the earnest hope that 1t Is
not mistaken in expecting action on
the part Of the Imperial German gov
eminent which will correct the unfor-