Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-31
GERMANY SIDESTEPS
REAL ISSUES In REPLY
[Continued from First Page.1

| lowing answer to the communlcation
of May Is regarding the injury TO
| American interests through German
submarine warfare.
The imperial government has SUD
1ected the communication OF the
American government to thorough
investigation. 1t entertains also Keen
| wish to cooperate in a frank ana
friendly way in clearing up a possible
misunderstanding which may have
arisen in the relations between the two
governments through the events men
toned by the American government.
Regarding, firstly, the cases OF the
American steamers Cushing and Gulf
| light. The American embassy has
already been informed that the Ger
man government has no intention of
| submitting neutral ships in the war
zone, which are guilty of no hostile
acts. to attacks by submarine OF sub
marines or aviators. On the contrary.
! the German forces have repeatedly
been instructed most specifically to
avoid attacks on such ships.
| "If neutral ships in recent months
have suffered through the German sub
| marine warfare, owing to mistakes in
identification, it is a question only of
quite isolated and exceptional cases,
which can be attributed to the British
governments abuse of flags, together
with the suspicious or culpable be-
havior of the masters of the ships.
cases in which it has been shown by
its Investigations that neutral ship.
not itself at fault was damaged by
German submarines or aviators, has
expressed regret over the unfortunate
accident and. if justified by conditions,
has offered indemnitication.
Appeal TO Hague Suggested
The cases of the Cushing and the
Gulhight will be treated on the same
| nrinpinlac n nf hot n
cases is in progress, the result of which
will presently be communicated to the
embassy. The investigation can, if
necessary, be supplemented by an in
lternational call on the International
Commission of Inquiry. as provided by
Article Ill of The Hague agreement
of October IS. 1907.
When sinking the British steamer
| Falaba, the commander of the Ger
man submarine had the intention of
allowing the passengers and crew a
| full opportunity for q safe escape
Only when the master did not obey the
order to heave to, but fled and sum-
moned help by rocket signals. did the
German commander order the crew
and passengers by signals and mega
phone to leave the ship within 10
minutes. He actually allowed them
% minutes time and fired the torpedo
only when suspicious craft were has
tening to the assistance of the Falaba.
Sinking of the Lusitania
Regarding the loss of life by the
| sinking of the British passenger
| steamer Lusitania. the German gov
| ernment has already expressed to the
neutral governments concerned its
keen regret that citizens of their states
lost their lives
"On this occasion the imperial gov
ernment, however, cannot escape the
| impression that certain important facts
having a direct bearing on the sinking
of the Lusitania may have escaped the
attention of the American government.
| I'm the interest of clear and COM
plete understanding, which is the aim
| of both governments, the imperial gov
| ernment considers ii first necessary to
| convince itself that the information
accessible to both governments about
! the facts of the case is complete and
| in accord.
| The Government of the United
! States proceeds on the assumption that
the Lusitania could be regarded as an
| unarmed merchantmen. The imperial
government allows itself in this con-
| neCtion to point out that the LuSitania
was one of the largest and fastest
| British merchant ships built with gov
| ernment funds as an auxiliary cruiser
and carried expressly as such in the
| navy list issued by the British ad-
| miralty.
Charge Lusitania Was Armed
| at is further known to the imperial
| government, from trustworthy reports
| from its agents and neutral passengers.
| that for a considerable time practically
all the more valuable British mer-
chantmen have been equipped with
| cannon and ammunition and other
| weapons and manned with persons
I who have been specially trained in serV-
| ing guns. The Lusitan1a, too, accord
ing 10 information received here. had
cannon aboard. which were mounted
and concealed below decks.
THE imperial government further
| has the honor to direct the particular
| attention of the American government
to the fact that the British admiralty,
in a confidential instruction issued in
| February, 1915, recommended its mer-
| camille shipping not only to seek pro-
| lection under the neutral flags and dis
tinguishing marks but also. while thus
| disguised. to attack German sub
marines by ramming. AS special in
| citation to merchantmen to destroy
submarines the British government
also offered high prizes and has al
ready paid such rewards.
The imperial government. in view
OF these facts individually known to
| IL. is unable to regard British mer-
chantmen I'm the zone of naval op-
erationS specified by the admiralty staff
OF the German navy as 'undefcnded.'
German commanders consequently are
no longer able to observe the custom
AIRY regulations of the prize law, which
they before always followed.
FINALLY. the imperial government
must point out particularly that the
Lusitania on its last trip. as on earlier
occasions, carried Canadian troops and
war material. including no less than
5.40O cases of ammunition intended for
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
that 1t was acting in justified self
defense in seeking with all the means
of warfare at its disposition to protect
the lives of its soldiers by destroying
ammunition intended for the enemy.
Blame Placed on Cunard Line
The British shipping company must
have heen aware of the danger TO
which the passengers aboard the I,usi-
tania were exposed under these CON
ditions. Tho c0mDany i'm embarIsing
them. Notwithstanding this. attempteti
deliberately to use the lives of Ameri-
can citizens as protection for the am
munition aboard. and acted against the
clear provisions of the American law.