South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-14

WASHINGTON. May I4.-The text
,,f the note from the United States TO
the German imperial government
transmitted today to Ambassador Ger
I'd at Berlin and TO be presented to-
morrow morning 20 the German for
cign office reads as follows.
The Secretary of state 20 the
American Ambassador at Berlin:
Department OF state, Washington,
May IL. 1915.
Please call on the minister Of for
eign affairs and after reading 20 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 cul-
minated IN the torpedoing and sinking
OF the British steamship Lusitania on
May I, 1915, by -hich over 100 Amer
lean citizens lost their lives. IL is clear
~ wise and desirable that the govern
ment Of the United states and the i'm
peTial German government should
come 10 a clear understanding as to
the grave situation which has resulted.
Losses Are Recalled.
The sinking Of the British passen-
ger steamship Falaba by a German
submarine on March rs, through
which Leon c. Thrasher. an American
citizen was drowned; the attack on
April 2S on the American vessel Cush-
ing by a German aeroplane; the to-
pedoing on May ! OF the American
vessel Gulflight by German subma-
rine. as the result of which two or
more American citizens met their
Death: and finally. the torpedOing and
sinking Of the steamship Lusitania,
constitute a series Of events which the
government Of the United States has
observed with growing concern, dis
tress and amazement.
Recalling the humane and enlight-
ened attitude hitherto assumed by the
imperial German government in mat
tiers 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 humanity;
and having understood the instruc-
lions or the imperial German govern
ment TO it's naval commanders TO be
upon the same plane of humane &C
ton prescribed by the naval codes of
other nations, the government Of the
United States was lOath TO believe-r
cannot now bring itself to believe
that these acts, so absolutely contrary
10 the rules, the practices and the
spirit of modern warfare, could have
the cOuntenance or sanction Of that
great government
With Utmost Frankness.
IL feels il TO be it's duty, therefore,
to address the imperial German gov
eminent concerning them, with the ut
most frankness and in the earnest
hope that IT is not mistaken, in exz
pecting action on the part Of the i'm
perial German government, which will
correct the unfortunate impressions
which have been created and vindi-
cate once more the position of that
government, with regard to the sacred
freedom Of the seas.
The government of the United
States has been apprised that the i'm
perial German government considered
themselves to be obliged by the ex-
traOrdinary circumstances of the pres
ent war and the measures adopted by
their adversaries in seeking TO cut
Germany off from all commerce, to
adopt methods of retaliation which go
much beyond the ordinary methods
Of warfare at sea, in the proclama-
ton of a war zone. from which they
have warned neutral ships to keep
away.
United States Opposed.
This government has already taken
occasion TO inform the imperial Ger
man government that it cannot admit
the adoption of such measures or such
a warning of danger to operate as in
any degree an abbreViation OF the
rights Of American ship masters or
of American citizens bound on lawful
errands as passengers on merchant
ships Of belliserent nationalities; and
that 1t must hold the imperial German
government to a strict accountability
for Gny infringement Of those rights.
intentional or unintentional. II does
not understand the imperial German
government TO question these rights
II assumes. on the contrary, that the
Imperial German government accepts,