The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-05-18

Washington, May 13.-The United
States government today cabled Am
bassador Gerard for presentation to
the German government a note call
ing attention Ito the grave situation
which has resulted" from violation
of American rights on the high seas,
eliminating in the sinking OF the
Lusitania. with loss of more than
one hundred American lives.
The communication expresses the
confident expectation of the United
States that the Imperial German
government will disavow the acts of
which the government of the United
States complains, that they will
make reparation so far as reparation
is possible for injuries which are
without measure, and that they will
take immediate steps to prevent the
recurrence 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 contended."
that the Imperial German govern
ment will not expect the government
of the United States to omit any
word or any act necessary to the per-
formance of it's sacred duty of main
tanning the rights of the United
States and its citizens and of safe
Z guarding their free exercise and en-
joyment."
TEXT OF THE NOTE,
The full text OF the note was made
public tonight by the state depart
ment as follows:
Department of State,
Washington. May 13, 1915.
"The Secretary of State to the Am
bassador at Berlin:
please call on the minister of
foreign affairs and, after reading to
him this communication, leave with
him copy.
"In view of recent acts of the Ger
man authorities in violation OF
American rights on the high seas,
which eliminated in the torpedoing
and sinking of the British steamship
Lusitania on May z, 1915, by which
over one hundred American citizens
lost their lives, it is clearly wise and
desirable that the government of the
United States and the Imperial Ger
man government should come to a
clear and full understanding as to
the grave situation which has recult-
ed.
The sinking of the British pas
senger steamer Falaba by q German
submarine on March 2S, through
which Leon c.. Thresher, an Ameri-
can citizen, was drowned; the attack
on April 28 on the American vessel
Cushing by a German aeroplane; the
torpedoing on May 1 of the Ameri-
can vessel Gulfiight by German
submarine, as result of which two
or more American citizens met their
death, and finally, the torpedoing
and sinking of the steamship Lusi-
tania, constitute a series OF events
which the government of the United
States has observed with growing
concern, distress and amazement.
PREVIOUS ATTITUDE.
"Realinzing the humane and en-
hghtened attitude hitherto assumed
by the Imperial German government
in matters of International right.
and particularly with regard to the
freedom OF the seas; having learned
4 to recognize the German views and
1.-THE German influence on the field OF
. international obligation as always
engaged upon the side of Justice and
humanity, and having understood
the instructions of the imperial Ger
man government to It's naval COM
manders to be upon the same plane
of humane action prescribed by the
naval codes of other nations. the gov
ernment of the United States was
loath to believe---it cannot now bring
itself to believe--that these acts, so
absolutely contrary to the rules. the
practices and the spirit of modern