Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-14
j. S. NOTE OF
PROTEST SENT
TO THE KAISER
Document Finally Dispatched Before
Noon and it is Expected to
Reach Berlin Late
in Day.
COPY GIVEN TO Won BERNsToRFF
American Ambassadors in All Great
Capitals Are Also Furnished
with Duplicates.
INTEREST IN THE PdRAsEoLoGY

WASHINGTON, May 13.--The
United States sent to Germany a note
protesting against the sinking of the
Lusitania, with the loss of more than
100 lives and other violations of
American rights on the seas.
After three days of preparation by
President Wilson. with the assistance
Of his cabinet, the document was
finally dispatched shortly before noon
today. II is expected to reach Am
bassador Gerard late today for
presentation tonight or tomorrow
morning at the German foreign Of
flee.
sent Ia All Great Capitals.
A copy OF the note was delivered to
Count Won Bernstorff. the German ann
bassador tonight by the State department
as courtesy. and copies were similarly
cabled TO the American ambassador at
London. Paris and Petrograd for their
own Information.
Publication OF the text was arranged
for by Secretary Bryan, who announced
that the document was to be released for
use in editions of morning papers reach
ing the American public not earlier than
. o'clock on Friday. Special restrictions
were imposed on foreign correspondents
who were not permitted to cable II until
the same hour that II reached the people
Of the United States. The purpose OF
! these arrangements Il was explained at
! the state department, was to prevent
4 diplomatic embarrassment such as might
arise II the text reached the British or
I French governments through publication
! In foreign newspapers before it actually
reached the German government
PhraseoIoEy Interests.
Interest here today centered almost
entirely on the exact phraseology OF tho
note, for while its essential features were
known and widely discussed the precise
and meaningful language OF diplomatic
usages were awaited to indicate the posi-
ton ana purposes of the United States
government IN connection with Germany .
submarine warfare on merchant ships
The German embassy issued this
statement;
The German embassy stated today
that no statement OF intimation had been
given by the embassy or any official of
the embassy concerning what response
would be made TO the American note re-
gardlng the Lusitania.
THAT was brought out by statements
appearing In the press this morning to
the effect that officials OF the German
embassy have outlined the position OF
tho German government towards the
American note regarding the sinking OF
tho Lusitania and have declared that the
reply would be a polite but firm refusal
to cease submarine warfare against bel
ligerent merchant ships
1T was pointed out that the embassy
itself 80 far was ignorant of the terms
OF the American note: that IL had re-
ceived no instructions whatever from tho
German government regarding the note
and finally II was declared that no Of
ficiai connected with the embassy had
expressed any opinion on tho subject at
all"
The Principal Points.
No changes were made In the essen
tials OF tho communication as formu-
lated Sunday by the president and APP
proved by the cabinet Tuesday. The
principal points In the mote are sub
stantislly as follows:
"onc-The United States govern
ment calls attention TO the various
incidents In the war zone proclaimed
by Germany around the British
isle; the sinking of the British liner
Falaba, with the loss OF Leon c.
Thresher, an American; the attack
by German airmen on the American