Mexico Missouri message., 1915-05-20

the note:
Department of State, Washington,
May 10, 1915-The Secretary of State
to the American Ambassador at Ber-
lin:
please call on the minister Of for
eign affairs and after reading to him
this communication leave with him a
copy:
I'm view Of recent acts of the Ger
man authorities in violation of Ameri-
can rights on the high seas, which cul-
minated in the torpedoing and sink
Ing of the British steamship Lusitania,
on May z, 1915, by which over 100
American citizens lost their lives, it
Is clearly wise and desirable that the
government Of the United States and
the Imperial German government
should come to a clear and full un-
derstanding as to the grave situation
which has resulted.
"The sinking of the British passen-
ger steamer Falaba by German sub
marine on March 20, through which
Leon G.. Thresher, an American citi-
zen, was drowned; the attack on April
% on the American vessel Cushing
by a German acceptance; the torpe-
doing on May of the American YES
sci Gulflight by German submarine,
as a result Of which two or more
American citizens met their death,
and, finally, the torpedoing and sink
ing Of the steamship Lusitania, con-
stitute a series of events which the
government of the United States has
observed with growing concern, dis
tress and amazement.
Loath to Believe Government Sane
toned Attacks.
Recalling the humane and enlight-
ened attitude hitherto assumed by the
Imperial German government in mat
ters of international right and partic-
ularly 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 inter,
national obligation as always engaged
upon the side of justice and human
ity; and having understood the in
structions of the Imperial German
I government. to its naval commanders
to be upon the same plane of humane
l action prescribed by the naval codes
l of other nations, the government OF
D the United States was loath to believe
r 1T cannot now bring itself to believe
that these acts, so absolutely con
= trary to the rules, the practices and
the spirit Of modern warfare, could
have countenance or sanction of that
great government. 1t feels 1t to be
; it's duty, therefore, to address the
: Imperial German government concern
ing them with the utmost frankness
and in the earnest hope that it is moi
, mistaken in expecting action on the
} part of the Imperial German govern
ment which will correct the unfortu
nate impressions which have beer
created and vindieate once more the
|. position of that government with re
gard to the sacred freedom of the
seas.
|, German Government Previously
o Warned.
1.-THE government Of the United
States has been apprised that the I'm
perial German government considered
l. themselves to be obliged by the ex
:, traordinary circumstances of the pres
ent war and the measures adopted b!
e their adversaries in seeking to Gu
e Germany off from all commerce t
4 adopt methods of retaliation, which g
much beyond the ordinary method
of warfare at sea, in the proclamation
% of a war zone from which they hay,
" warned neutral ships to keep away
This government has already takel
occasion to inform the Imperial GEL
man government that 1t cannot admi
70 the adoption of such measures or sucl
a warning of danger to operate as Il
u any degree an abbreyiation OF tn
rights OF American shipmasters or o
4 American citizens bound on lawful Ell
rands as passengers on merchan
ships of belligerent nationality; an
II that it must hold the Imperial Gel
man government to a strict account
ability for any infringements of thos
rights, Intentional or accidental.
does not understand the Imperial Gel
IT man government to question thos
rights. It assumes, on the contrary
~ that the Imperial German government
u accept as OF course the rule that tn
,r lives of the noncombatants, whethe
they be of neutral citizenship or cit
~ zens of one OF the nations at wa
g cannot lawfully or rightfully be pu
st in jeopardy by the capture or d.
NNrONN~~N~rN~rS>N -csNssHe~r-eNoS~S~r~S
There's Room at the Top.
~ He entered the barber shop. sat hin
self down, resigned to his fate
~ The barber shaved him,
shampoo, sir?" asked the tonso
y ialist
10 mo" replied the man, gazing I
his balm dome in the reflective mi
ror; "shine. ''--Philadelphia Ledger.
er The One Fault
a I thought her features perfect,