The Nome daily nugget., 1915-08-13
PRES. INSISTS GERMANY
 SAFEGUARD U. 5. RIGHTS

American rejoinder to the German Governments reply to the note follow ing the sinking of the Lusitania. signed by Robert Lansing, Secretary of State, ad interim, follows:-
 "The Government of the United States notes with qualification the full recognition by the Imperial Ger man Government. in discussing the cases of the Cushing and the Gulf light, of the principle of the freedom of all parts of the open sea to neutral ships and the frank willingness of the Imperial German Government to &C., knowledge and meet it's liability ships which have not been guilty of any hostile act by German aircraft or vessels of war Is satisfactorily estab- lished: and the Government of the United States will in due course lay before the Imperial German Govern ment, as it requests. full information
 
 Cushing.
 With regard to the sinking of the steamer Falaba, by which an Ameri- can citizen lost his life, the Govern ment of the United States is surprised to find the Imperial German Govern ment contending that an effort on the part of a merchantman to escape cap- ture and secure a. e.s'ance alters the obligation of the officer seeking the capture in respect of the safety of the lives Of those on board the merchant man. although the vessel has ceased her attempt to escape when torpedoed. These are not new circumstances. They have been in the minds of statesmen end of international jurists througho ut the development of naval warfare, and does not understand that they have ever been held to alter the principles of humanity upon which it has insisted. Nothing but actual and forcible resis- tance or continued efforts to 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 passengers or crew. The Government of the United States. however, does not understand that the Imperial German Government is seeking in this case to relieve itself of liability, but only intends to set forth the circumstances which led the commander of the submarine to allow himself to be hurried into the course which he took.
 "Your Excellency's note, in discuss ing the loss of American lives resulting 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 at- tention of the United States. It is stated that the Lusitania undoubtedly was supplied with masked guns, SUD- piled with trained gunners and special ammunition. transporting troops from Canada, carrying a cargo not permitted under the laws of the United States to vessel also 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 Government official information. Of the facts al- legged in your Excellency's note, if true, the government of the United States would have been bound to take official cognizance in performing its recogniz- ed duty as neutral power and in en- forcing its national laws. It was the duty to see to 1t that the Lusitania was not armed for offensive action; that she was not serving as trans
 
 States she did not carry a cargo pro- hibited and that, if in fact she was a naval vessel of Great Britain, she should not receive clearance as a mer- chantman; and it performed that duty and enforced it's statutes with scrupu- lous vigilance through it's regular con- stituted officials. It is able, therefore. to assure the Imperial German Gov ernment that it has been misinformed If the Imperial German Government should deem itself to be in possession of convincing evidence that the off, cials 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 con- sideratlon.
 "Wha ynou ha fha onntouftopc e