The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-06-11

'The Govsrhsnenf II the United
States, however does not understand
that the ImDefial German Govern
ment is seeking Ia this case to re
lieve itself Of liability but only in.
tends to set forth the circumstances
which led tire COMMANDER OF the sub
| marine to allow himself to be hurried
into the course which he took.
Pushes Claims Aside.
Your Excellency's note in discus
sing the loss of American lives result
Ing from the sinking of the steamship
Lusitania, adverts at some length to
certain information which the I'M
perial German Government has re-
ceived with regard to the character
and outfit of that vessel, and Your Ex-
cellency expresses the fear that this
information may not have been
brought to the attention of the Gov
eminent of the Unite: --ates. 1t is
stated in the note that the Lusitania
was undoubtedly equipped with mask
ed guns, supplied with trained gun
ners and special ammunition, trans.
porting troops from Canada, carrying
cargo not permitted under the laws
OF the United States to a vessel also
carrying passengers, and serving, in
virtual effect,as an auxiliary to the
naval forces of Great Britain. For
tunately these are matters concern
ing which the Government of. the
United States is in a. position to give
the Imperial German Government of
fetal information. OF the facts al
legged to Your Excellency's note, if
true, the Government of the United
States would have been bound to take
cfhc1al cognizance in performing its
recognized duty as a neutral power
and in enforcing its, national laws. 1t
was its duty to see to it the Lusitan-
la was not armed for offensive action,
that she was not serving as a trans
port, that she did not carry a cargo
prohibited by the statutes of the
United States, and that, if in fact
she was naval vessel of Great Brit
ain, she should not receive clearance
as merchantmen; and it performed
that duty and enforced its statutes
with scrupulous vigilance through its
regularly constituted officials 1t is
able, therefore, to assure the Imperial
German Government that it has been
misinformed. If the Imperial Govern
ment should deem itself to be in pos
session of convincing evidence that
the officials of the Government of the
United States did not perform these
duties with thoroughness the Govern
ment of the United States sincerely
hopes that it will submit that evil
dence for consideration
Whatever may be the contention
of the Imperial German Government
regarding theScarridAa Of contraband
of war on board tie gaasitania or re;
garding the explosion of that material
by the torpedo, it need only be said
that in the view of this government
these contentious are irrelevant to
the question of the legality of the
methods used by the German navol
authorities in sinking the vessel.
Vital Principles Involved.
"But the sinking of passenger ships
involves principles of humanity which
throw into the background any special
circumstances of detail that may be
thought to affect the cases, principles
which life it, as the Imperial German
Government will no doubt be quick to
recognize and acknowledge, out of the
class of ordinary subjects of diplo-
matte discussion -onaof international
controversy. Whatever be the other
facts regarding the Lusitania, the
principal fact is that great steamer,
primarily and chiefly a conveyance
for passengers, and carrying more
than a thousand souls who had no
part or lot in the conduct of the war,
was torpedoed and sunk without so
much as a challenge or a warning,
and that men, women and children
were sent to their death in circum-
stances unparalleled in modern war
fare. The fact that more than one
hundred American citizens were
among those who persisted made it
the duty of the Government of the
United States to speak of these things
and once more. with solemn empha-
sis, to call the attention of the I'm
perial German Government to the
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