The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-06-16
NOTE MILD in FORM
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Continued from first page.)
this information may not have been
brought to the attention of the gov
ernment of the United States.
''It was stated in the note that the
Lusitania was undoubtedly equipped
with masked guns, supplied with
trained gumners and special ammuni-
tion, transporting troops from Can
ada, carrying a cargo not permitted
under the laws of the United States
to a vessel carrying passengers. and
iary to the naval forces of Great Bri-
tain.
fortunately these are matters
concerning which the government Of
the United States is in position to
give the Imperial German govern
ment official information. Of the
facts alleged in your EXcellency's
note, if true, the government of the
United States would have been bound
totake official cognizance in perform
ing its recognized duty as a neutral
power, and in enforcing it's national
laws.
1T was its duty to see to it that
the Lusitania was not armed for Of
fensive action, that she was not serv-
ing as transport, that she did not
carry cargo prohibited by the stat
utes of the United States. and that,
if 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 its regularly constituted Off
,cials.
1T is able, therefore, to assure the
Imperial German government that it
has been misinformed. If the I'M
perial German government should
deem itself to be in possession Of con-
vincing evidence that the officials of
the government of the United States
did not perform these duties with
thoroughness the government of the
United States sincerely hopes that it
will submit that evidence for consid-
Grafton. 20
Irrelevant Contentious.
"Whatever may be the contentious
Of the Imperial German government
regarding the carriage of contraband
of war on board the Lusitania or re-
garding the explosion of that. mate
rial by the torpedo, it need only be
said that in view of this government
these contentious are irrelevant to
the question of the legality of the
methods used by the German naval
authorities in sinking the vessel. :
"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 lift it, as the
Imperial German government will no
doubt be quick to recognize and ac-
knowledge, out of the class of ordi-
nary subject of diplomatic discussion
or of international controversy.
Whatever be the other facts re-
garding the Lusicania, the principal
fact is that a great steamer, primarily
and chiefly conveyance for passen-
gers, and carrying more than thou
sand souls who had no part or lot in
the conduct of the war, was torpe-
doed and sunk without so much as a
challenge or warning, and that men,
women and children were sent to
their death in circumstances unparal-
leled in modern warfare.
''The fact that more than one hun
dred American citizens were among
those who perished made il the duty
of the government of the United
States to speak of these things, and
once more, with solemn emphasis, to
call the attention of the Imperial Ger
man government to the grave reSpon-
sibility which the government OF the
United States conceiveS that it has
incurred in this tragic occurrence,
and to the indisputable principle
upon which the responsibility rests.
The government of the United
States is cortending for something
much greater than mere rights OF
property or privileges of commerce.
1t is contending for nothing less high
and sacred than the rights of hu-
manity, which every government hon
ors itself in respecting and which no
government is justified in resignlng
on behalf of those under its care and
authority. Only her actual resist
ance to capture or refusal to stop
when ordered to do SO for the pur-
pose of visit could have afforded the
commander of the submarine any
justification for so much as putting
the lives of those on board the ship
in jeopardy.
''This principle the government OF
the United States understands the ex-
plicit instructions issued on August
8, 1914, by the Imperial German ad-
miralty to its commanders at sea to
have recognized and embodied, as do
the naval codes of all other nations,
and upon it every traveller and sea-
man had a right to depend. 1t is
upon this principle of humanity as
well as upon the law founded upon
this principle that the United States
must stand.
As to England.
"The government of the United
States is happy to observe that your
Excellency's note closes with the init
nation that the Imperial German
government is willing, now as before,
to accept the good offices of the Unit
ed States in an attempt to come to an
understanding with the government
of Great Britain by which the char
acter and conditions of the war upon
the sea may be changed.
"The government of the United
States would consider it a privilege
thus to serve its friends and the
world. It stands ready at any time
to convey to either government any
intimation OR suggestion the other
may be willing to have it convey and
cordially invites the Imperial German
government to make use of it's ser
vices in this way at its convenience.
The whole world is concerned in any
thing that may bring about even a
partial accommodation of Interests or
in any way mitigate the terrorS OF