The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-07-15
Memorandum Handed Am
bassadOr Gerard and Trans
mitted to Washington De-
plores Affair as Accident.
NO INSULT INTENDED
FOR AMERICAN FLAG
Incident Is Now Closed, Ex-
cept for Payment of Dam
ages; Flag Could Not Be
Seen in Twilight.

Washington. July is.-Germany, Ia
an ofhcial memorandum transmitted
today from Berlin by Ambassador
Gerard, admits that the American
steamer Nebraskan was torpedoed By
a submarine, Expresses regret and
readiness 10 make PREPARATION. and as
sures the United States that the at
tack WA not mean for the Amer
lean flag. but is 90 be considered an
unfortunate accident"
Secretary Lansing made public the
German memorandum which disposes
OF the question whether the Nebraa-
kan was struck by a torpedo or by a
mine. The erIna memorandum
closes the incident II was said. except
M To the payment Of damages.
ID state department made this
announcement.
Ambassador Gerard has telegraph
ed To h state department the fol-
lowing memorandum from the Ger
man foreign office relative to the
damaging Of the American steamer
Nebraskan by a German submarine
=" The German government re-
ceived from newspaper reports the
Intelligence that the American steam
er Nebrp~kan had been damaged by
a mine or torpedo on the southwest
coast OF Ireland. Il therefore started
a thorough investigation OF the case
without delay and from the result OF
the investigation Il has become con
WINGED that tbs damage To the Ne
braskan was oause by az attack by
a submarine.
" 'On the evening OF May 25 last
the submarine met a steamer bound
westward without "A flag me with no
neutral markings on her freeboard.
about thirty-nve nautical miles west
of Fastnet rock no appliances OF any
kind for the illumination OF the flag
or markings was to be seen. In the
twilight. which nae already sci In,
the name OF the steamer was not vis-
! ible from the submarine. Since the
commander OF the submarine was
Obliged to assume from his wide ex-
p%erience In the arrest OF maritims
war hat only English steamers and
no neutral steamers traversed this
war area without flags or markings
he attacked the vessel with a torpe
do. In the conviction that he had al
enemy vessel before him.
" some time after the shot th'
commander saw that the vessel ha,
lin the meantime hoisted the Amer
can flag. As a consequence he, Of
course. refrained from any furthei
attack. Since the vessel remained
%afloat he had no occasion to concern
himself further with the boats which
had been launched.
y " Il results from this without
c doubt hat the attack on the Nebras
kan was not meant for the Americai
nae. nor ~ Il t~raceabie 20 any faui
on the part 81 the commander OF tn
Germun submarine. but Is 10 be con
sidered an unfortunate accident. Tn
ierman government expresses lts RI
eret az h occurrence "a the severn
mept OF the United States Of Au,eric
and declares is readiness Co max
compensation FOR the damage Their,
by sustained by American citizens
The official report Of tho attack 70
warded By Ambassador PAGE after II
Vestigation by Lieutenant John |
Towers. naval attache OF the embass
stated that the Nebraskan was
water ballast outbound from Livel
pool for Delaware breakwater. an
that although her iiag had bee
hauled down just after sunset, as
the custom there wese painted an h
sides In letters six feet high the wore
I'Nehrasknn. New York
After the attack the ship heade
about for Liverpool. and. conveyed
British ships. reached the port safci
No one was seriously hurt In the -
D. plofl.n, which left evidences causin
some doubt at first whether the ah.
'e had been struck BY a torpedo or
\, mine. American naval o~ficers, nov
ever, finally came TO the cOnclusis
le that Il was a torpedo.
The Nebrnskan case, coming eiq.
ef on the slnkiae Of the Lualtani&. nn
< coupled with the attack on Ihe oq'
- ntsht, threatuaed 10 become one ?
as Inc lnaportahi lssues In M cpntIp
vskas wltha atrman, oysr snhmat'n'