The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-06-16


the Lusitania was undoubtedly
equipped with masked guns, sup
piled with trained gunners ant
special ammunition, transporting
troops from Canada, carrying car
go not permitted under the laws OF
the United States to vessel also
carrying passengers, and serving, in
virtual effect, as an auxiliary to the
naval forces Of Great Britain.
Fortunately these are matters
concerning which he Government oil
the United States is in position to
give the Imperial German Govern
ment official information. OF the
facts alleged in Your Excellency's
note, If true, the Government of the
United States would have been
bound to take official cognizance in
performing its recognized duty as
neutral Power and in enforcing its
national laws. 1t was its duty to
see to 1t that the Lusitania was not
armed for offensive action; that she
was not serving as transport; that
she did not carry a cargo prohibited
by the statutes of the United States,
and that, If in fact she was a naval
vessel of Great Britain, she should
not receive clearance as a merchant
man; and it performed that duty
and enforced It's statutes with scru-
pulous vigilance through its regular
ly constituted officials. 1t is able,
therefore, to assure the Imperial
German Government that it has
been misinformed. If the Imperial
German Government should deem
itself to be in possession of convinc-
ing evidence that the officials of the
Government of the United States did
not perform these duties with thor
oughness, the Government of the
United States sincerely hopes that it
will submit that evidence for con-
sideration.
Whatever may be the conten-
tons of the Imperial German Gov
eminent regarding the carriage of
eontraband of war on board the
Lusitania, or regarding the explo-
sion of that material by the torpedo,
1t need only be said that in the view
of this Government these conten-
tions are irrelevant to the question
of the legality of the methods used
by the German naval authorities in
sinking the vessel.
but the sinking of passenger
ships involves principles Of human
ity which throw into the back
ground any special circumstances of
detail that may be thought to affect
the cases, principles which lift it, as
the Imperial German Government
will no doubt be quick to recognize
and acknowledge, out of the class of
ordinary subjects of diplomatic dis
cussion or of international contro-
versy. Whatever be the other facts
regarding the Lusitania, the princi-
pal fact is that great steamer, pri-
marily and chiefly a conveyance for
passengers. and carrying more than
a thousand souls who had no part
or lot in the conduct of the war,
was torpedoed and sunk without so
much as a challenge or a warning,
and that men, women and children
were sent to their death in circum-
stances unparalleled in modern war
fare.
1.-The fact that more than one
hundred American citizens were
among those who persisted made it
the duty of the Government of the
United States to speak of these
things and once more. with solemn
emphasis. to call the attention of
the Imperial German Government
to the grave responsibility which the
Government of the United States
that IT has incurred in
this tragic occurrence, and to the in
uiSPutooic PiihSiPic upOu "hiCH tudt
responsibility rests.
THE Governments Of the United
States is contending Sfor something
much greater than mere rights of
or privileges of commerce.
1t is contending for nothing less
high and sacred than the rights of
humanity. which every government
honors Itself in respecting and
which no government is justified in
on behalf of those under
Its care and authority.
only her actual resistance to
capture or her refusal to stop when
ordered to do so for the purpose of
visit could have afforded the COM
mander of the submarine any justi-
ication for SO much as putting the
lives of those on board the ship In
jeopardy. This principle the Gov
srnment of the United States under