The copper era and Morenci leader., 1915-06-25

of the United States did not perform
 government of the United States sin
 cerely hopes it will submit that evi-
 dence for consideration.
 What ever may be the contentious
 of the imperial German government
 regarding the carriage of contraband
 garding the explosion of material by torpedo, it need only be said that
 in the view of this government, these contentious are irrelevant to the ques- tions of the legality of the methods used by the German naval authorities in sinking that vessel.
 But the sinking of passenger ships
 involves the principles of humanity which throw into the background any
 special circumstances or detail that
 may be thought to affect the case, the
 principles of which lift it, as the inn
 perial government will no doubt be
 quick to recognize and acknowledge
 out of the class of ordinary subjects
 of diplomatic discussion or interna- tional controversy. Whatever may be
 the facts regarding the Lusitania, the
 principal fact is that a great steamer primarily and chiefly a conveyance for passengers carrying more than one thousand souls who were no part or lot in the conduct of the war was torpedoed and sunk without so much
 aI i,,rr men, women and children went to their death in circumstances unparal- elled in modern warfare. The fact that more than one hundred Ameri- can citizens were among these who perished made it the duty of the gov ernment of the United States to speak these things and to once more, with solemn emphasis call the ettention of the imperial German government to the grave responsibility which the government of the United States con- ceives it incurred in this tragic oc- currence and to the indisputable principle upon which that responsi- bility rests.
 The government of the United States is contending for something which is greater than the mere rights of property or privilege of commerce. It is contending nothing less high | and sacred than the rights of hu- which every government hon. | DTS itself in respecting and which no | government is justified in resigning | on behalf of those under it's care and | authority. Only her actual resistance. capture or refusal to stop when or tered to do so for the purpose of | visit could have afforded the com nander of submarine any justifica ion for so much as putting the lives of those on board the ship in jeo- pardy, principle the government of the United States understands eX- plicit instructions issued August 3, 1914, by the German admiralty to its at sea to have recogniz- sd and~-embodied as do the naval codes of all other nations, and upon t every traveller and seaman had a ight to depend.
 'It is upon this principle of hu- nanity as well as upon law founded ,n this principle that the United States must stand. The government If the United States is happy that your excellency'S note closes with the that the German govern nent is willing, now as before to .ccept the good offices of the United States in an attempt to come to- an with the government f Great Britain, by which the char .cter and conditions of war upon the ca may be changed. The govern 1ent of the United States would con ider it a privilege thus to serve its riends and the world. It stands eady at any time to convey to- either overnment any intimation or sug- estion the other may be willing to ave it convey and cordially invites f it's services in this way at it's con- enience. The whole world is con- erned in anything that may bring bout, even partial accommodation f interests or in any way mitigate he terrors of the present distress lg conflict.
 Tn the meantime, whatever ar angement may happily be made be- ween the parties 70 the war and ,hatever may in the opinion of the nperial German governments have cen provocation or circumstantial for the past acts of it's at sea, the government : the United States confidently ,oks to see the justice and human y of the government of Germany