The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1915-06-18
Legality Of Sinking Of Steamer
Lusitania fIatly Denied
by United States.
ORIGINAL DEMANDS RENEWED
Precautions Insisted Upon and Right
Of Americans to Travel Seas
Lawfully, Declared, NotWith-
standing Warnings.

standing Warnings.
WASHINGTON, June 10.-The text
Of the American rejoinder 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 to Ber-
lin: Department Of State, Washing
ton, June 9, 1915.-American Ambas-
sador, Berlin: You are instructed to
deliver textually the following note
to the Minister Of Foreign Affairs:
"In compliance with Your Excel
lency's request, did not fail to trans
nit to my Government, Immediately
upon their receipt, your note of May
28 in reply to my note Of May Is, and
your supplementary note Of June J.,
setting forth the conclusions, so far
as reached by the imperial German
government, concerning the attacks
on the American steamers Cushing
and GulfliEht.
Principle of Freedom Recognized.
II am now instructed by my Gov
ernment to communicate the follow
ing in reply:
"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 Gull
flight, Of the principle Of the freedom
Of all parts of the open sea to neutral
ships and the frank willingness of the
imperial government to acknowledge
and meet its 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
perial German government, rs it re-
quests, full information concerning
tha attack on Aha etaon,ar CuahinO
- s.r,.., - 4 -, II = -..,..r = ~
VIII res1Iu - 'ng .:1n sniAlS Z. ..i'
can citizen lost his life, the Govern
ment Of the United States is surprised
yo.nt cont.nd;pr that an effort on
tbs n.rt of ! merchantmen "a escape
cantrrs ~ and secure assistance alters
ths ohl;rat;on Of the officer seeking
- rsLs ~. canture in respect to the
ssf.ty to tbe lives of those ON board
the merchantman. although the ves-
sci has ceased her attempt to escape
when torpedoed. These are not new
circumstances. They have been in the
minds Of statesmen and Of interna-
tional iurists throughout the 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 OF
continued efforts to escape by flight
when ordered to stop for the purpose
Of visit on the part of the merchant.
man has ever been held to forfeit thu
lives Of her passengers or crew.
sThe Government of the United
States however. does not understand
that tbe ;mner;aI German government
10 ..sl;ny N This case TO relieve itsel
~ liability. but only intends to Sc
forth the circumstances which led tn,
commander of the submarine to ALLOW
himself to be hurried into the cours
which he took.
@Your ExceIlency's note, in discuss
inr the loss of American lives result
ing from the sinking Of the STEAMSHIP
Lusitania, adverts at some length t
certain information which the imperia
German government has received wit
regard to the character and outfit 0
that vessel, and your Excellency ex
presses the fear that this informatio
may not have been brought to the at
tention Of the Government of th
United States.