Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-09-17
PAY FOR ARABIC
DEATHS REFUSED
Germany FIatly Rejects Any In
demnity Claim.
REGRETS THE LOSS OF LIFE
Note to American Government Says
Submarine Commander Was JUS
titled in Action by Fear
of Attack.

Berlin (via Amsterdam), Sept. g.
Germany in her note to the United
States government on the sinking OF
the Arabic expresses regret for the
loss of American lives, but states pos
itively that no indemnity for such can
be granted.
The refusal to grant indemnity is
absolute and will stand even if the
submarine commander should have
been mistaken as to aggressive inten-
tions on the part of the Arabic.
Following is the text of the note.
made public tonight:
On August 10 German submarine
stopped the English steamer Dunsley
about sixteen nautical miles south of
Kinsale and was on the point of sink
ing the prize by guntire after the
crew had left the vessel. At this mo-
ment the commander saw large
steamer, as developed later, the Ara
bic. She was recognized as an enemy
vessel, as she did not fly any flag and
! bore no neutral markings.
When she approached she altered
her original course, but then again
pointed directly toward the submarine.
From this the commander became con-
vinced that the steamer had the in
tention of attacking and ramming him.
In order to anticipate this attack he
gave orders for the submarine to dive
and fired a torpedo at the steamer.
After firing he convinced himself that
the people on board were being res.
cued in Is boats.
According to his instructions, the
commander was not allowed to attack
the Arabic without warning and with
out saving the lives unless the ship at
tempted to escape or offered resist
ance. He was forced, however, to con
clude from the attendant circum
stances that the Arabic planned vic
lent attack on the submarine.
This conclusion is all the more oh
vious as he had been fired upon at ;
great distance in the Irish sea on Au
gust 14-that is, few days before
by a large passenger steamer, appar
emily belonging to the British Roya
Mail Steam Packet company, which b.
had neither attacked nor stopped.
The German government most deer
ly regrets that lives were lost through
the action of the commander. It pal
ticularly expresses this regret to tn
government of the United States Of
> account of the death of American cit
" zens.
: The German government is unable
: however, to acknowledge any obligs
I tion to grant indemnity in the matter
even if the commander should hav
been mistaken as to the aggressive il
tentions of the Arabic.
y If it should prove to be the case tha
;. il is impossible for the German an
l American governments to reach hal
. monious opinion on this point, the Gel
l. man government would be prepared
e submit the difference of opinion, as b,
5 ing a question of. international law,
I The Hague tribunal for arbitration
g pursuant to article 3S of The Hagu
convention for the pacific settlemeI
Il of International disputes.
4 In so doing it assumes that as ma
q ter of course the arbitral decision sha
not be admitted to have the impo
tance of a general decision on the pc
e missibility or the converse under i
ternational law, of German submariI
- warfare.