Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-05-20


Department of State, Washington,
May 10. 1915-The Secretary OF State
to the American Ambassador at Ber-
lin:
please call on the minister of for
eign affairs and after reading to him
this communication leave with him a
copy:
I'm view of recent acts of the Ger
man authorities in violation of Ameri-
can rights on the high seas, which cul-
minated in the torpedoing and sink
ing of the British steamship Lusitania,
on May Z, 1915, by which over 100
American citizens lost their lives, it
is clearly wise and desirable that the
government of the United States and
the Imperial German government
should come to a clear and full un-
d~erstanding as to the grave situation
which has resulted.
The sinking of the British passen'
ger steamer Falaba by a German sub
marine on March %, through which
Leon G. Thresffer, an American citi
zen, was drowned; the attack on April
% on the American vessel Gushing
by a German aeroplane; the torpe
doing on May 1 of the American yes
sci Gulflight by a German submarine
as a result of which two or more
American citizens met their death
and, finally, the t%orpedoing and sink
ing of the steamship Lusitania, con
stitute a series of events which the
government of the United States has
observed with growing concern, dis
tress and amazement.
Loath to Believe Government Sane
toned Attacks.
Recalling the humane and enlight
Nened attitude hitherto assumed by the
Imperial German government in mat
tiers of international right and partic
ularly with regard to the freedom
of the seas; having learned to recog
nize the German views and the Ger
mar influence in the field Of inter
national obligation as always engaged
upon the side of justice and human
ity; and having understood the in
structions of the Imperial German
government to its naval commanders
to be upon the same plane Of humane
action prescribed by the naval codes
of other nations, the government o
the United States was loath to believe
@it cannot now bring itself to believ,
that these acts, SO absolutely con
trary to the rules, the practices ant
the spirit of modern warfare, coult
have c~Ountenance or sanction of tina
great government. 1t feels it to b.
its duty, therefore, to address tn,
Imperial German government concern
ing them with the utmost franknesi
and in the earnest hope that it is no
mistaken in expecting action on thu
part of the Imperial German govern
ment which will correct the unfortu
nate impressions which have beef
created and vindicate once more tn
position of that government with re
gard to the sacred freedom of tn,
seas.
German Government Previousl,
Warned.
The government of the Unite,
States has been appraised that the In
perial German government c~onsidere,
themselves to be obliged by the e1
~traordinary circumstances of the pres
emit war and the measures adopted b
their adversaries in seeking to Gu
Germany off from all commerce t
adopt methods of retaliation, which g
much beyond the ordinary method
of warfare at sea, in the ~proclamatio.
of a war zone from which they hav
warned neutral ships to keep away
This government has already take
occasion to inform the Imperial Gel
man government that it cannot ADM
the adoption Of such measures or sue
a. warning of danger to operate rs /
any degree an abbreviation of tn
rights of American shipmasters or Q
American citizens bound on lawful el
rands as passengers on merchan
ships of belligerent nationality; an
that it must hold the Imperial Ge'
man government to a strict accoun
ability for any infringements OF thos
rights, intentional or accidental.
does not understand the Imperial Ge
man government to question thos
rights. II assumes, on the %contrar,
that the Imperial German governmer
accept as Of course the rule that tn
lives of the noncombatants, whethe
they be Of neutral citizenship or cit
zens of one of the nations at wa
cannot lawfully or rightfully be pt
in jeopardy by the capture or d
There's Room at the Top.
He entered the barber shop, sat hin
self down, resigned to his fate.
The barber shaved him.
Shampoo, slr?" asked the tonso
ialist.