The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-06-11
Much Milder but Sill Firm in
It's Demands on German
Government
tov AssoaXTEo pxDn

WASHINGTON d. c., June 1nt-i
The text OF the American re3otnder4
to the Germon governments reply TO /
the note following the sinking OF the
Lusitania follows:
NTne secretary Of state ad interim
to the American ambassador at Der
lin
Department OF State.
washington, June 8, 1915.
American Ambassador, Berlin
you are instructed TO deliver text
ual1y the following note to the min
lister OF foreign affairs:
I'm compliance with Your Excel
fency's request did not fail TO trans
NIT to my government Immediately!
upon their receipt your note OF May
Is, in reply to my note OF May To-
and your supplementary note OF june !
/, setting forth the conclusions so Tar
as reached by the Imperial German
government concerning the attacks
on the American steamers, Cushing
and Gulf1ight- am now instructed by |
my government to communicate thel
following in reply:
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 GulfEeht. OF the
principle of the freedom Of all parts
Of the open sea to neutral ships and
the frank willingness OF the Imperial
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 German aircraft or vessels of war
is satisfactorily established; and the
government of the United States Will
IN due course lay before the Imperial
German government. as it requests,
full information concerning the at.
tack on the steamer, Gushing
with regard to the sinking OF
the steamer Fa1aba. by which an
American citizen lost his life, the
government of the United States IS
surprised to find the Imperial Ger
man government contendlng that an
effort on the part of a merchantman
to escape capture and secure assist
ance alters the Obligation Of the officer
seeking to make the capture IN re-
spect 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 circumstances 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
Goes not understand that they have
ever been held to alter the principles
of humanity upon which 1T has insist
ed Nothing but actual forc1ble rel
sistance or continued efforts to es-
cape 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 pas
sensers or crew. The government oil
the United States. however, does not
understand 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 hurried
into the course which he took
Mfsinfor1med.
srYour ExceIlency's note, IN dis
cusstng the loss OF American lives
resulting 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 CHAR
acter and outfit OF that vessel, ana
Your Excellency expresses the Tear
that this Information may not nave .
been brought to the attention of the
government OF the United States |
It is stated in the note that the Iusl- |
+ania. was undoubtedly equipped
with masked guns, supplied with
trained gunners ana special ammu-i
milton, transporting troops from Can
ada. carrying a cargo not per-
mitted under the laws OF the United
States to q vessel also carrying
passengers, and serving. in virtual !
effect, as an auxiliary to the naval
forces Of Great Britain. fortunately !;
these are matters concerning which.
the government Of %ho United States
is in a position to give the Imperial
German government official 1nfor-
nation. OF the facts alleged in Your
ExcelIency's note, if true. the gov
eminent of the United States would
have been bound to take official cog
uizance in performing its recognized .
duty as a neutral power an in en-
forcing its national laws 1t was its
duty to see to it that the Lusitania
was not armed for offensive action,
that she was not serving as trans
port. that she did not carry a cargo
prohibited by the statutes of the
United States. and that. If IN fact she
was a naval vessel of Great Britain,
she should not receive clearance as
a merchantmen; and it performed
that duty and enforced its statutes
with scrupIous vigilance through its
regularly constituted officials It is
able therefore. to assure the Imperial /