The Harrison times., 1915-08-21


lows:
The Secretary OF State ad interim
to the American Ambassador to Ber.
lin:
Department OF State.
Washington, d. c., June 9, 1915.
american Ambassador, Berlin:
You are instructed TO deliver tex.
tually the following note to the minis
ter of foreign affairs:
In compliance with your eXcellen-
cy's request, | did not fail to transmit
to my government Immediately upon
their receipt your note of May 2S In
reply to my note of May Is and your
supplementary note of June l, set
ting forth the conclusions so far as
reached by the imperial German gov
ernment concerning the attacks on the
American steamers Cushing and Gulf
light. | am now instructed by my
government to communicate the fol.
lowing in reply:
Freedom on Open Sea.
The government Of the United
States notes with qualification the full
recognition by the imperial German
government, in discussing the cases of
the Cushing and the Gulfiight, of the
principle of the freedom Of all parts
of the open sea to neutral ships and
the frank willingness Of the German
government to acknowledge and meet
its liability where the fact Of attack
upon neutral ships which have not
been guilty of any hostile act by Ger
man aircraft or vessels Of war is SAT
isfactorily established; and the gov
ernment Of the United States will in
due course lay before the imperial
German government, as II requests,
full information concerning the at
tack on the steamer Gushing.
Humanity Always Uppermost.
"They have been in the minds OF
statesmen and Of international juristS,
throughout the development Of naval
warfare and the government Of the
United States does not understand
they have ever been held to alter the
principles Of humanity upon which it
has insisted Nothing but actual Tor
chile resistance or continued efforts to
escape by fight when ordered to stop
for the purpose Of visit on the part
OF the merchantmen has ever been
held to forfeit the lives Of her passen-
gers or crew. The government of the
United States, however, does not un-
derstand that the imperial German
government is seeking in this case to
relieve itself of liability, but only in
tends to set forth the circumstances
which led the commander Of the sub
marine to allow himself to be hur-
ried into the course which he took
Lustania's Status Restated.
"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
AP va me
United States. 1t Is stated in the note
that the LuSitania was undoubtedly
equipped with masked guns, supplied
with trained gunners and special am
munition, transporting troops from
Canada, carrying a cargo not per
mitted under the laws of the United
States to a vessel also carrying pas
sengers, and serving in virtual effect
as an auxiliary to the naval forces Of
Great Britain. Fortunately, these are
matters concerning which the govern
ment of the United States is in posi-
ton to give the imperial German gov
ernment official information. Of the
facts alleged in your eXcellency's note,
If true, the government would have
been bound to take official cOgnizance
in performing its recognized duty as a
neutral power and in enforcing its ma
tional laws.
United States Performed Duties.
II was its duty to see to 1t that the
Lusitania was not armed for offensive
action, that she was not serving as a
transport and that she did not carry a.
cargo prohibited by the statutes Of the
United States and that, il in fact she
was naval vessel Of Great Britain
she should not receive clearance as a
merchantman; and it performed that
duty and enforced it's statutes with
scrupulous vigilance through its reg
ularly constituted officials. 1t is able,
therefore, TO assure the imperial Ger
man government that 1t has been mis-
Informed. If the imperial German gov.
ernment should deem itself in posses
sion of convincing evidence that the
officials OF the government Of the
United States did not perform these
duties with thoroughness the gov