Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1915-06-15
Demands Assurance From Germany That Amer
lean Lives and American Ships Will
Be Safeguarded.
Declaring Germany Misinformed as to Lusitania,
Government Stands Fast on Principles Laid
Down in its First Protest Against -
Acts of Submarines.

part of the merchantmen has ever
been held to forfeit the lives of her
passengers or crew. The Govern
ment OF the United States, however,
does not understand that the Imperial
German Government is seeking in this
case, to relieve itself of liability, but
only intends to set forth the circum-
stances which led the commander of
the submarine to allow himself to be
hurried into the course which he took.
NO GUNS ON LUSITANIA.
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 Excellency ex-
presses the fear that this information
may not have been brought to the at
tention of the government of the
United States. 1t is stated in the note
SA0t tit 1<0o4tdh1d wa uHQOuDjculy
equipped with masked guns, supplied
with trained gunners and special am
munition, transporting troops from
Canada carrying a corgo not permitted
under the laws of the United States
to vessel also carrying passengers,
and serving, in virtual effect, as an
auxiliary to the naval forces Of Great
Britain. Fortunately these are mat
tiers concerning which the government
of the United States is in a position to
give the Imperial German Government
official information. OF the facts al
legged in Your Excellency'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 national laws. 1t
was its duty to see to it that the Lusi-
tania was not armed for offensive
action, that she was not serving as a
transport, that she did not carry a
cargo prohibited by the statutes of the
United States, and that, in fact, she
was naval vessel of Great Britain,
she should not receive clearance as a
merchantmen; and it performed that
duty and enforced its statutes with
scrupulous vigilance through its regu-
larly constituted officials. 1t is able,
therefore, to assure the Imperial Ger
man Government that 1t has been mis-
nd hn I'm .sol
Government should deem itself to be
in possession of convincing evidence
that the officials of the government
of the United States did not perform
these duties with thoroughness, the
government of the United States sin
cerely hopes that it will submit that
evidence for consideration.
IRRELEVANT CONVENTIONS.
Whatever may be the contentious
Of the Imperial government regarding
the carriage of contraband of war on
board the Lusitania or regarding the
explosion of that material by the tor
pedo, it need only be said that in the
view of this government these conten-
tons are irrelevant to the question of
the legality of the methods used by
the German naval authorities in sink
ing the vessel.
But the sinking of passenger ships
involves principles of humanity which
throw into the background any special
circumstances of detail that may be
TO Of he
which lift it, as the Imperial German
government will no doubt be quick to
recognize and acknowledge, out of the
class of ordinary subjects of diplomatic
yersy. Whatever be the other facts
regarding the Lusitania, the principal
fact is that a great steamer, primarily
and chiefly a conveyance for passen-
gers and carrying more than thou
sand souls who had no part or lot in
the conduct Of the war, was torpedoed
and sunk without so much as a chal-
lenge or warning, and that men,
women and children were sent to their
death in circumstances unparalleled in
UlOueTn warfare. ne IdCJ ludI lllUIS
than 100 American citizens were
among those who persisted made it the
duty of the government of the United
States to speak of these things and
once more, with solemn emphasis. to
call the attention Of the Imperial Ger
man government to the grave RESPONSE
bility which the government of the
United States conceives that it has in
CURED in this tragic occurrence and
to the indisputable principle upon
which that responsibility rests.
ON GROUND OF HUMANITY.
The government of the United
States is contending for something
much greater than mere rights of prop
erty or privileges of commerce-it is
contending for nothing less high and
sacred than the rights of humanity,
which every government honors itself
in respecting and which no govern
ment is justified in resigning on behalf
of those under its care and authority.
consolidating their positions along the