Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1915-06-11

strueted by my government to com
munfcate the following in reply:
THE government of the United States
notes with qualification the full recog-
milton by the imperial German govern
ment. In discussing the cases Of the
Gushing and the GuIdight. of the nrin-
ciple Of the freedom OF all parts Of the
open sea to neutral ships and the
frank willingness OF the Imperial Ger
man government to acknowledge and
meet its liability where the fact OF at
tack upon neutral ships which have
not been guilty of any hostile act by
German aircraft or vessels of war n
satisfactorily established. and the gov
eminent Of the United States win In
due course lay before the imperinl Ger
man government. as II requests. full
Information concerning the attack on
the steamer Gushing.
Case Of tho Eaisba.
with regard to the sinking Of the
steamer Falaba, by which an American
citizen lost his life, the government of
the United States ia surprised to find
the imperial German government con-
tending thst an effort of merchant
man to escape capture and secure as-
sistsnoe alters the obligation of the o.
fioer seeking TO make the capture "a. rs-
spect Of the safety of the lives Of those
on board the merchantmen. slthouafs
fra yssSsf had ra-e~d ha- z<&.--x L..
escape when torpedoed. These are not
nav circumstances. They have been IN
the minds of statesmen and Of frterna
tionel jurIsts throughout tha develop
mont of naval warfars. and the gov
ernnent of the United States does not
understand that they have ever been
held to alter the principles Of humanity
upon which it has insistsi. Hcthsnr
but actugl ferciaie ressataseA eT enntsxa \
asd effort to escspe BY fight ysiser <sr-
asrsd TO stcp for the purpose Of vss5t
on the part of the rnercEsantrnsn has
sver been held to forfeit the lives OF her
passengers or crew. The government
of the United States, however, does not
understand that the imperial govern
naent is seeking in this case 80 reiieve
itself of liability, but only intends TO set
forth the circumstances which led the
commander Of che submarine TO allow
himself to be hurried into ths course
which he took.
Lusitania Not Armed
"Your exosllency's note in discussing
from the sinking of the steamship Lu-
sitanis adverts at some length 10 car
tain information which the imperisl
German government has received with
regard to the character and outfit Of
that vessel, and your exeeilsney ak
presses the fear that this information
may not have been brought to tha at
tention of the government OF the Unit.
ed States. IL is stated in the note that
the lusitania was undoubtedly equip
ped with masked guns, supplied with
trained qurners and special ammeni-
tion, transporting troopa from, C-nads,
sarrying 8 cargo not permitted under
the laws of the United States TO g vex-
sci also carrying passengers and sarv-
ing in virtual effect as an auxiliary to
the naval forces Of Great Britain. For
tunstely these are matters concerning
which the government of the Unitsd
States 10 in position to give the i'm
psrial German government official in
formation on. OF the facts alleged in
vour exeeIIenoy's note, If true, the gov
eminent of the United States would
have been bound to take ofFicisI cog
nizanoe in performing it's recognized
duty ss a neutral power and in enforc-
ing it's national laws
att was its duty to see TO 1t that the
Lusitania was not armed for offensive
action, that she was not serving as q
transport, that she did not carry q
cargo prohibited by the statues OF the
United States and that. If In fact she
was a naval vessel of Great Britain,
she should not receive clearance as a
merchantman. and 1t performed that
duty and enforced its statutes with
scrupulous vigilance through its regu-
larly constituted officials. 1t Is able,
therefore, to assure the imperial Ger
man government that It has been mis-
Informed. II the imperial German gov
eminent should deem itself to be IN
possession of convincing evidence that
the officials OF the government Of tbs
/ United States did not perform thess
duties with thorsughness. the govern
ment OF the United States sincerely
homes that It VIII submit that eyf
dence for consideration
Whatever may be the intentions oi
the imperial German government re.
gHrding the carriage of contraband OF
war on board the Lusitsnia or regard
ing the explosion Of that material by
the torpedo. 1t need only be said that Ia
the view Of this government there con-
tentions are Irrelevant 20 the question
of the legality OF the methods used by
the German naval authorities IN sink
nag the vessel