Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1915-05-20

NaIlOub DCUldOubs
Washington, D. C.-The United
States government has cabled Ambas.
sador Gerard for presentation to the
German government a note calling at.
tention ito the grave situation which
has resulted" from violation of Amer
lean rights on the high seas, culminat-
Ing in the sinking of the Lusitania
with a loss of more than 100 Ameri-
can lives.
The communication expresses the
confident expectation of the United
States that the Imperial German
Government will disavow the acts of
which the government of the United
Estates complains, that they will make
PREPARATION so far as reparation is pos
slble for injuries which are without
measure, and that they will take i'm
mediate steps to prevent the recur-
renee Of anything so obviously sub.
Versive of the principles of warfare
Tor which the Imperial German gov
eminent in the past SO wisely and so
firmly commended"
In its conclusion, the note states
that the Imperial German Govern.
ment Will not expect the government
OF the United States to omit any word
or any act necessary to the perform
ance of its sacred duty of maintain
ing the rights of the United Utates
and its citizens and of safeguarding
their free exercise and enjoyment"
The full text of the note sent nv
President Wilson to Germany upon re-
cent sinking of the Lusitania, as made
public by the state department, is as
follows:
Department of State,
Washington, d. G.
The Secretary of State to the Amer.
lean Ambassador at Berlin
Please call on the minister of for
eign affairs and, after reading to him
this communication, leave with him a
copy.
In view of recent acts OF the Ger
man authorities in violation of Amer
lean rights on the high seas, which
eliminated 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 clear and full I'M
derstanding as to the grave situation
which has resulted.
LAThe sinking of the British passenger
steamer Falaba by'a German subma-
rine on March 20, through which Leon
C. Thresher, an American citizen, was
drowned; the attack on April 20 on
the American vessel Gushing by Ger
man aeroplane; the torpedoing on May
Of the American vessel Gulflight
by a German submarine as a result
OF which two or more American citi-
zens met their death, and, finally, the
torpedoing and sinking of the steam
ship Lusitania, constitutes a series OF
events which the government of the
United States has observed with grow
Ing concern, distress and amazement.
Recalling the humane and enlight-
ened attitude hitherto assumed by the
Imperial German Government in mat
tiers of international right, and In 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 inter
national obligation as always engaged
upon the side of justice and human
1ty; and having understood the in.
'structions of the Imperial German
Government to it's naval commanders
to be upon the same plane Of humane
action prescribed by the naval codes
OF other nations, the government of
the United States was loath to be-
heve-it cannot now bring itself to
believe that these acts, so absolutely
contrary to the rules, the practises
and the spirit of modern warfare,
could have the countenance or sane
ton of that great government. It
feels 1t to be its duty, therefore, to
address the Imperial German Govern
ment concerning them with the ut
most frankness and in the earnest
hope that 1t is not mistaken in ex-
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
Insurance Board Approves.