The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-06-18

lows.
THE Secretary of State ad interim
to the American Ambassador to Ber-
I'm
Department Of State.
Washington, D. c., June 9, 1915.
American Ambassador, Berlin:
You are instructed to deliver tex
tually the following note to the minis
ter Of foreign affairs:
IN compliance with your excellen-
cy's request, did not fail to transmit
to my government Immediately upon
their receipt your note Of May 2S in
reply to my note Of May Is and your
supplementary note Of June /, set
ting forth the conclusions so far as
reached by the imperial German gov
ernment concerning the attacks on the
American steamers Gushing and Gulf
light. I am now Instructed by my
government to communicate the fol-
lowing in reply:
Freedom on Open Sea.
"The government OF the United
States notes with qualification the full
recognition by the imperial German
government, in discussing the cases Of
the Cushing and the Gulfiight, Of the
principle of the freedom Of all parts
of the open sea to neutral ships and
the frank willingness Of the German
government to acknowledge and meet
It's liability where the fact OF attack
upon neutral ships which have not
been guilty of any hostile act by Ger
man aircraft or vessels Of war is sat
isfactoriIy established; and the gov
eminent OF the United States Will in
due course lay before the imperial
German government, as 1t requests,
full information concerning the at
tack on the steamer Gushing.
Humanity Always Uppermost.
"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 does not understand
they have eyLr been held to alter thu
principles Of humanity upon which I
has insisted. Nothing but actual Ior
chile resistance or continued efforts tt
escape by flight 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 passen
gers or crew. The government OF the
United States, however, does not un'
derstand 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 hur.
ried into the course which he took.
Lusitania's Status Restated.
"Your excellency's note in discuss
Ing the loss Of American lives result
Ing 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 character and outfit OF
that vessel and your excellency ex'
presses the fear that this information
may not have been brought to the
attention Of the government Of the
United States. It Is stated in the note
that the Lusitania was undoubtedly
equipped with masked guns, supplied
with trained gunners and special am
munition, transporting troops from
Canada, carrying a cargo not per
mitted under the laws OF the United
States to a vessel also carrying pas
sengers, and serving in virtual effect
az an auxiliary to the naval forces OF
Great Britain. Fortunately, these are
matters concerning which the govern
ment OF the United States is in posi-
ton to give the imperial German gov
eminent official information. OF the
facts alleged in your excellency's note,
II true, the government would have
been bound to take official cognizance
IN performing its recognized duty as
neutral power and in enforcing its No
tional laws.
United States Performed Duties.
It was its duty to see to It that the
Lusitanfa was not armed for offensive
action. that she was not serving as a
transport and that she did not carry a
cargo prohibited by the statutes OF the
United States and that II 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
scrupulous vigilance through It's reg
ularly constituted officials. 1t is able
therefore, to assure the imperial Ger
man government that 1t has been mis-
Informed. If the imperial German gov
ernment should deem ;teelf in posses
sion OF convincing evidence that thu
officials Of the government 1T the
limited States did not perform these
duties with thoroughnesc the GOV
ernment of the Unitch States sincere
" hopes that it will submit the evi
dence for consideration.
Whatever may he the contentious
Of the imperial German government
| ..a,nn tho carriace of contrabani