The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-06-03
DEFERS DIRECT ANSWER
GERMANY MAKES REPLY TO L.
:. COMPLAINT.
Offers Pay When Germany is al
. Fault.-Real Complaint Not
Answered.


sinking of the Lusitania was signed
by Herr Won Jagow. the foreign min
lister. at II o'clock last night. and
handed to Ambassador Gerard this
morning for transmission to Wash
ington.
The note expresses Germanys re-
gret for injuries sustained by Amer
leans as the result of submarine and
aeroplane attacks. and offers COM
penSation in cases in which Germany
is found to be in the wrong. AS indi-
Gated previously in the dispatches,
the note defers a direct answer to-
the questions raised by President
Wilson, pending further exchange
of views. Germany desires to estab
lish whether the Lusitania was a
defenceless merchant ship or was be-
ing used for the transportation Of
war munitions and soldiers, on which
unsuspecting passengers were per-
mitted to take passage to safeguard
the war materials.
The American representations re-
garding the torpedoing Of the British
steamer Falaba, in which an Ameri-
can citizen lost his life, are answer
ed with the statement that it was in
tended to offer ample time for the
passengers and crew to leave the
ship. The action Of the captain in
attempting to escape, however ne
cessitated more summary action.
Even then the commander of the sub
marine granted 10 minutes for those
on board to leave the vessel and sub
sequently extended the time to %
minutes before sinking the ship.
''Unintentional Attacks"
Germany expresses regrets for the
unintentional attacks on the Amer
lean steamer Cushing and the Gull
flight. The Cushing was attacked by
German airmen in the North Sea,
and the Gulf1ight was torpedoed on
Scilly Islands. Germany disavows
anv intention to attack harmless neu-
trail craft. She offers to pay compen-
sation wherever she is found to be IN
the wrong, and to refer doubtful
cases to The Hague for a decision.
The passages in the American note
concerning a possible disavowal by
Germany of intent to sink the Lusl-
tania and the discontinuance OF her
present practices of submarine war
fare are not mentioned specifically
in the reply. The note states that
pending the reply of the American
government to the German assump-
tions Of fact regarding the real char
acter of the Lusitania and her cargo.
no attempt will be made to answer
the demands contained in the Ameri-
can communication.
Assumption of Fact.
The Lustiania was built as an
auxiliary cruiser, subsidized and car
ried on the navy lists as such. She
carried, according to German infor-
nation, two guns mounted and con-
cealed below decks.
British steamers sailing from New
York, according to Information re-
ceived from passengers and other
sources. repeatedly carried soldiers.
war supplies and contraband to Eng
land, the Lusitania on this trip car
rying, specifically 5,400 cases of am
munition. in addition to other war
supplies and Canadian troops en-
route to the front.
Reference is here made to the fact
that carrying explosives on passenger
ships is contrary to American law.
1t is intimated that the German gov
ernment would be glad to receive in
formation as to how it happened that
ammunition was permitted to be
shipped on the Lusitania, the vessel
crowded with passengers. Strong
phrases are used regarding what is
considered as apparently the delib-
crate policy of British shipping COM
panies to protect war shipments by
embarking American passengers on
the ships.
Germany contends it is impossible
to settle the question whether prop
er opportunity was given to place
the passengers and crew in safety
until it is determined whether the
regulations adopted after the sink
ing of the Titanic, regarding prop
er supply of boats and water-tlght
which are now part OF
the American law, were observed in
the case of the Lusitania.
Finally, the American medlatory
proposals designed to end submarine
warfare and the throttling of food
and other conditional con-