The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-06-15
The NOTE BRYAN
WOULD not SIGN
ASKS FOR ASSURANCE OF Re-
SPECT AMERICAN RIGHTS
Must Guarantee Adoption of Measures
Safeguarding Americans and
Their Ships.

Their SnlpSo
Washington, June 10.-The text Of
the American rejoined to the Ger
man governments reply to the note
following the sinking of the Lusitania
follows:
"The Secretary of State ad Interim
to the American Ambassador at Ber-
lin:
Department of State,
Washington, June 9, 1915.
American Ambassador, Berlin:
"You are instructed to deliver
textually the following note to the
minister of foreign affairs:
"In compliance with you e"cel-
lency's request I did not fail to tians-
nit to my government Immediately
upon receipt your note of May %
in reply to my note of May Is and
your supplementary note of June /,
setting forth the conclusions so far
as reached by the imperial German
government concerning the attacks On
the American steamers Cushing and
Gulfignt. 1 am now instructed by
my government to communicate the
following in reply:
"The government of the United
States notes with qualification the full
recognition by the imperial German
government in discussing the cases of
tie Cushing and the Gulfight of the
principles of the freedom Of all parts
of the open sea to neutral ships and
the frank willingness of the imperial
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 German aircraft or vessels of
war is satisfactorily established; and
the government of the United States
will in due course lay before the i'm
periaf German government, at its re-
quest, full information concerning tae
attack on the steamer Gushing.
Unpleasant Surprise.
with regard to the sinking of the
steamer Falaba, Fby which an Ameri-
can citizen lost his life, the govern
ment of the United States is surpris-
ed to find the imperial German gov
ernment contending that an effort on
the part of a merchantmen to escape
capture and secure assistance alters
the obligation of the officer seeking to
make tie capture in respect Of the
safety of the lives of those on board
the merchantmen, although the vessel
had ceased her attempt to escape
when torpedoed These are not new
circumstances. They have been in the
minds of statesmen and of interna-
tional jurists throughout tie develop
ment of naval warfare, and the gov
ernment of the United States does not
understand that they have ever been
held to alter the principles of human
ity upon which it has insisted. Moth
ing but actual forcible resistance or
continued efforts to escape by flight
when ordered to stop for tie purpose
of visit on the part of merchantmen
has ever been held to forfeit the lives
of her passengers or crew. The gov
ernment of the United States, now
ever, does not unde- stand that the
imperial German government is seek
ing in this case to relieve itself Of
liability but only intends to set forth
the circumstances which led the COM
mander of the submarine to allow
himself to be hurried into the course
which he took.
Has Official information
"Your excellency's note, in dis
cussing the loss OF American lives
resulting from the sinking Of the
steamship Lusitania, adverts at some
length to certain information which
tee imperial German government has
Nreceived 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
sssnment nfuShsr United aes. Wiz -
stated in the note that the Lusitania
was undoubtedly equipped with mask