The Spectator., 1915-06-01

Lusitania was one of the largest and | fastest British merchant ships, built with government funds an auxiliary
 cruiser and carried expressly as such | in the Navy List Issued by the British
 admiralty.
 l Ut is further known to the imperial government, from trustworthy reports | from it's agents and neutral passen- i gers. that for a considerable time prac- | tically all the more valuable British 1 merchantmen have been equipped with | cannon and ammunition, and other weapons, and manned with persons who have been specially trained in serving | guns. The Lusttania, too, according to i information received here, had cannon aboard, which were mounted and con- ! cealed below decks.
 "The imperial government further has the honor to direct the particular attention of the American govern ment to the fact that the British ad 1 miralty. in a confidential instruction issued In February, 1915, recommended it's mercantile shipping not only to seek protection under neutral flags and dis | tlnguishing marks, but also. while thus l disguised, to attack German subma- | rtnes by ramming. As d special inci- l tatiOn to merchantmen to destroy sub
 marines, the British government also 1 offered high prizes and has already ! paid such rewards
 1 The imperial government, in view of
 these facts, indubitabiy known to it. is
 unable to regard British merchantmen
 in the zone of naval operations speci- fed by the admiralty staff of the Ger man navy as 'undefended' German commanders consequently are no long
 CT able to observe the customary regu- lations of the prize law, which they l before always followed.
 Finally, the imperial government must point out particularly that the Lusitania, on it's last trip, as on earlier | occasions. carried Canadian troops and war materials. including no less than r it .l.l the destruction of the brave German
 soldiers who are fulfilling their duty with self sacrifice and devotion in the | fatherland's service.
 The German government believes it was acting in justified self defense in seeking with all the means of war l fare at its disposition to protect the
 lives of its soldiers by destroying am intuition intended for the enemy.
 The British shipping company must l have been aware of the danger to l which the passengers aboard the Lu- sitanta were exposed under these con | dltions. The company in embarking them. notwithstanding this, attempted 1 deliberately to use the lives of Amer 1 1can citizens as protection for the am l munttion aboard and acted against the i clear provisions of the American law which expressly prohibits the forward | ing of passengers on ships carrying ammunition and provides penalty
 therefor The company, therefore. Is . | many passengers.
 There can be no doubt. according to the definite report of the submarines l commander, which is further confirm 1 ed by all other information, that the l quick sinking of the Lusitania is pri- marily attributable to the explosion of the ammunition shipment caused by torpedo. The Lusitania passengers would otherwise. in all human proba- l bilitv. have been saved
 The imperial government considers the above mentioned facts important enough to recommend them to the at tentive examination of the American l government. while withholding it's final decision on the demands advanced in connection with the sinking of the i LuSttania until receipt of an answer from the American government feels now that it took cognizance with sat isfaction of the mediatory proposals submitted by the United States govern ment to Berlin and London as a basis Tor moduS Vivendi for conducting the
 maritime warfare Germany and Great Britain.
 The imperial government. by it's | readiness to enter upon a discussion of these proposals, then demonstrated its good intentions in ample fashion The realization of these proposals was defeated. as is well known. by the de- ! clinatory attitude of the British gov l ernment.
 The undersigned takes this occa-
 son. etc, LOGON"