The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-06-03


minutes. He actually allowed them
% minutes time and fired the torpedo
only when suspicious craft were has,
tening to- the assistance OF the Falaba..
Regarding the loss Of life by the
sinking Of the British passenger
steamer Lusitania, the German gov
eminent has already expressed to the
neutral governments concerned its
keen regret that citizens of their states
lost their lives.
ION this occasion the imperial gov
eminent, however, cannot escape the
impression that certain important facts
having q direct bearing on the sinking
Of the Lusitania may have escaped
the attention Of the American govern
ment.
I'm the interest of q clear and COM
plete understanding, which is the aim
OF both governments, the imperial gov
eminent considers it 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
ordinary unarmed merchantmen. The
imperial government allows itself In
this connection to point out that the
Lusitania was one of the largest and
fastest British merchant ships, built
with government funds as an auxiliary
cruiser and carried expressly as such
in the Navy List issued by the, Brit
ish admiralty.
"It Is further known to the imperial
government. from trustworthy reports
from its agents and neutral passengers
that for a considerable time practi-
cally all the more valuable British
merchantmen have been equipped with
cannon and ammunition, and other
weapons, and manned with p9Ssons
Who have been specially trained In
serving guns. The Lusitania, too, ac-
cording to information received here,
had cannon aboard, which were
mounted and concealed below decks.
"The imperial government further
hasithe honor to direct the particular
attention of the American government
to the fact that the British admiralty
ina confidential instruction, Issued In
February. 1915, recommended its mer-
camille shipping not only to seek pro-
lection under neutral flags and dis
tinguishing marks, but also, while thus
disguised, to attack German snbma-
rines by ramming. AS a special. incita-
ton to merchantmen to destroy sub
marines the British government also
ordered high prizes and has already
paid such rewards.
"The imperial government. i'm view
OF these facts, Individually known to it.,
is unable to regard British merchant
men in the zone of naval operations
specified by the admiralty staff of the
German navy as .undefended.' Ger
man commanders consequently are no
longer able TO observe the customary
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
5.4OO 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 1T
was acting in justified self-defense in
seeking with al the means of warfare
at it's disposition to protect the lives
Of its soldiers by destroying ammuni-
| ton intended for the enemy.
"The British shipping company
must have been aware Of the danger
to which the passengers aboard the
Lusitania were exposed under these
| conditions. The company in embark
| ing them, Notwithstanding this, at
| tempted deliberately to use the lives
| Of American citizens as protection for
the ammunition aboard and acted
against the clear provisions or the
American law which expressly prohib-
its the forwarding of passengers on
ships carrying ammunition and pro-
vides penalty therefor. The com
pany, therefore, is wantonly guilty OF
the death of so many passengers.
There can be no doubt, according
to the definite report of the subma-
rine's commander, which is further
confirmed by all other information,
that the quick sinking of the Lusitania
| is primarily attributable to the explo-
sion of the ammunition shipment caus-
ed by torpedo. The Lusitanfa pas
sengers would otherwise, in all hui
man probability, have been saved.
aThe imperial government considers
/ the aforementioned facts important
enough to recommend them to the at
tentive1 examination OF the American