The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-06-11
. allow himself to be hurri

snip LuSltania, adyertS at Soml
| length to certain information whicl
the imperial German government has
| received with regard to the character
and outfit OF this vessel, and your eX
cellency expresses the fear that thi;
information may not have beer
brought to the attention of the Unit
ed States. 1t is stated that the Lusi
tania was undoubtedly equipped viii
masked guns, supplied with trained
gunners and special ammunition
transporting troops from Canada
carrying a cargo not permitted un
der the laws of the United States tC
vessel also carrying passengers
and serving, in virtual effect, as an
auxiliary to the naval forces OF
Great Britain
Fortunately these matters con
cerning which the government of the
United States is in position to give
the imperial German government Off
cial information. OF the facts alleg-
ed in your excellency's note, if true,
the government of the United States
would have been bound to take Off
cial cognzance in performing its
recognized duty as neutral power
and i'll enforcing its national laws. 1t
was it's duty to see to it that the Lus-
itania was not armed for offensive ac-
ton; that she was not serving as Il
transport; that she did not carry a
cargo prohibited by the statutes of
the United States, and that, if in fact
she was naval vessel of Great Brit
ain, she should not receive clearance
as merchantmen, and it performed
that duty and enforced its statutes
with scrupulous vigilance through its
regularly constituted officials.
at is able, therefore, to assure the
imperial German government that it
has been misinformed. If the imper-
ial German government should deem
itself to be in possession OF convinc-
ing evidence that the officials of the
government of the United States did
not perform these duties with thor
oughness. the government of the Unit
ed States sincerely hopes that it will
submit that evidence for considera-
ton
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 mater
ial by the torpedo, it need only be
said that in the view of this govern
ment these contentious are irreley-
ant to the question of the LEGALITY Of
the methods used by the German nav
al 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,
which lift it, as the imper
ial German government viii no doubt
be quick to recognize and acknowl-
edge, out of the class of ordinary sub
jects of diplomatic discussion or of
international controversy. Whatever
be the other facts regarding the Lusi
tania, the principle fact is that
great steamer, primarily and chiefly
a conveyance for passengers, and
more than a thousand souls
who had no part or lot in the con
duct of the war, was torpedoed and
sunk without so much as challenge
or warning. and that men, women
and children were sent to their death
in circumstances unparalleled in mod
ern warfare.
"The fact that more than one hun
dred American citizens were among
those who perished made it the duty
of the government of the United
States to speak of these things once
more, with solemn emphasis, to call
the attention of the imperial govern
ment to the grave responsibility
which the government of the United
States conceiyes that it has incurred
in this tragic occurrence, and to the
indisputable principle upon which
that responsibility rests.
The government of the United
States is contending for something
greater than mere rights of property
or privileges of commerce. 1t is con
tending for nothing less high and sac
red than the rights of humanity.
which every government honors it.
self in respecting and which no gov
ernment is justified in resigning on
behalf of those under it's 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 would 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
3, 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 has a right to depend. 1t is upon
this principle of humanity as well as
upon the law founded upon this prin
ciple that the United States must
stand.
The government of the United