Norwich bulletin., 1915-06-11

Washington, June 10.-The United States in it's latest note to Germany, made public tonight, formally asks the imperial government for assur- ances that measures hereafter be taken to safeguard American lives and American ships" on the high seas. The alternative in case of refusal is not stated.
 It was this note to which William Jennings Bryan refused to attach his signature, resigning his portfolio of secretary of state and thereby precip- itating a dramatic cabinet crisis. Rob ert Lansing, secretary of state ad in- tertm, signed the moccunication, which went forth with the approval of Pres ident Wilson and his entire cabinet
 Friendly terms characterize the doc ument, which reneWs representations made in the American note that reach ed Germany on May 15 after the Lu- Sitania was tOrpedoed and sunk with a loss of more than 100 American lives. The German government, it is declar- ed, must have been misinformed' when it assumed that the Lusitania carried guns. as official information is at hand to corroborate the original contention of the Washington govern ment-that the Lusitania was an un- armed passenger ship which, since it did not resist capture, could not be sunk without transferring passengers and crew to a place of safety.
 The communication informs Ger many that it is "on the principle of humanity as well as upon the law founded upon this principle that the United States must stand.
 Opportunity is given to Germany to submit any evidence that. American of ficials did not execute their tasks thoroughly in inspecting the Lusitania before she sailed, but the cardinal fact-that the liner was given no . was primarily a passenger ship-the American government declares throws into the background any special cir cumstances of detail' and lifts the case ''out of the class of ordinary sub jects of diplomatic discussion of inter national controversy"
 The issuance of another statement by Former Secretary Bryan coincident with the publication of the note to- night added to the surprise in official quarters at the character of MT. Bryan's argument. High officials said persuation-which MT. Bryan advo- cates and did not necessarily lead to war.
 The text of the note follows:
 Text of the Note.
 The text of the American reioinder to the German governments reply to the note following the sinking of the Lusitania, follows:
 "The Secretary of State, ad interim, to the American ambassador at Der lin:
 Department of State, Washington,
 June 9th, 1913.
 American Ambassador, Berlin: You are instructed to deliver textually the following note to the minister of for eign affairs:
 "In compliance with Your Excellen- GV'S rPnnaSt I did fail fn TJaT to my government immediately upon their receipt your note of May 2S in reply to my note of May 15 and your supplementary note of June l, setting forth the conclusions so far as reach ed by the imperial German government concerning the attacks on the Ameri- can steamers Cushing and Gulfight. I am now instructed by my govern ment to communicate the following reply:
 Freedom of 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 Gushing and the Gulfight, of the principle of the freedom of all parts of the open sea to neutral ships and the frank willingness of the imperial and meet it's liability where. the fact of attack upon neutral ships which have not been guilty of any hostile act by German aircraft or vessels of war is satisfactorily established; and the government of the United States will in due course lay before the inn perial German government, as it re- quests, full information concerning the attack on the steamer Cushing.
 Contention About Steamer FaIaba.
 With regard to the sinking of the steamer Falaba, by which an Amer ican citizen lost his life, the govern to find the imperial German govern part of a merchantnan to escape cap of the officer seeking to make the capture in respect of the safety of the lives of those on board the merchantmen, although the vessel has ceased her attempt to escape when torpedoed. These are not new cir They have been in the minds of statesmen and of interna- tiona1 jurists throughout the develop ment of naval warfare and the gov ernment of the United States does not understand that they have ever been held to alter the principles of human ity upon which it has insisted. Moth ing but actual and forcible resistance or continued efforts to escape by flight when ordered to stop for the purpose of visit on the part of the merchant man has ever been held to forfeit the lives of her passengers or crew, The