Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-06-12

VI tue Onlteu states In many years
we are here publishing in full:
The secretary of state ad interim
to the American ambassador to Ber.
lin:
Department of State
Washington, June 9, 1915.
American ambassador, Berlin: You
are instructed to deliver textually the
following note to the minister of for.
eign affairs:
In compliance with your excel
lency's request did not fa:l 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 ].
setti! 8. forth the conclusions so far
as reached by the imperial German
government concerning the attacks on
the American steamers Gushing and
Gulhight. l am now instructed by my
government to communicate the fol-
lowing in reply:
THE government of the United
States notes with qualification the full
recognition by the imperial German
government, in discussing the cases OF
the Gushing and the Gulf1ight, 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 Ger
man aircraft or vessels OF war is sat
isfactory established, and the govern
ment of the United States will in due
course lay before the imperial Ger
man government, as 1t requests, full
information concerning tie attack on
the steamer Gushing.
On FaIaba Incident.
with regard to the sinking of the
steamer Falaba, by which an Amerl-
can citizen lost his life, the govern
ment of the United States is surprised
to find the emperial German govern
ment contending that an effort on the
part of a merchantmen to escape cap
ture and secure assistance alters the
obligation of the officer seeking to
make the capture in respect of the
the merchantmen, although the vessel
has ceased her attempt to escape when
torpedoed. These are not new cir
cumstances. They have been in the
minds of statesmen and of interna-
tional jurists 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
humanity upon which 1t has insisted.
Nothing but actual forcrle resist
ance 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 crow. The government of the Uni
ted States, however, does not under
stand that the imperial German gov
ernment is seeking in this case to re-
lieve itself Of liability, but only in
tends to set forth the circumstances
which leS the commander Of the sub
marine 20 allow himself to be hurried
into the course which he took.
Facts on Lusitania.
your excellency's note, in discus.
sing the loss of American lives result
ing from the sinking Of the steamship
Lusitania, adverts at some length TO
certain information which the imperi-
al German government has received
with regard to the character and out
it of that vessel, and your excellency
expresses the fear that this informa-
tion may not have been brought to
the attention of the government OF
the United States. It is stated in the
note that the Lusitania was undoubted-
Iy equipped with masked guns, sup
piled with trained gunners and special
ammunition, transporting troops from
Canada, carrying a cargo not permit
ted under the laws of the United
States to vessel also carrying pas
sengers, and serving. In virtual effect,
as an auxiliary to the naval forces of
Great Britain. Fortunately these are
matters concerning which the govern.
ment of the United States is in po-
siion to give the imperial German gov
ernment official Information. or the
facts alleged in your excellency's note,
II true, the government Of the United
States would have been bound to take
official cognizance in perform ing its
recognized duty as neutral power
and IN enforcing its natioral laws. 1t
was It's duty to see to It that the Lusi.
tania was not armed for offensive ac-
ton: that she was not serving as a
transport; that she did not carry a
cargo prohibited by the statues Of the
United States, and that, II in fact she
was a naval vessel OF Great Britain, she
should rot receive clearance as n mer.
chantman; and II performed that duty
and eniorced It's statutes with scrupu'
lous vigilance through it's regularly