The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-07-16
GERMANY APOLOGIES
TO UNITED STATES
Berlin Admits Steamer Nebras.
kan Was TOrpedoed.
WILL MAKE PREPARATION.

Attack "Was Not Meant for Ameri-
can Flag, But is to be Considered
an Unfortunate Accident"
Washington, July 15.-Germany,
in an official memorandum transmit
ted today from Berlin by Ambassador
Gerard, admits that the American
steamer Nebraskan was torpedoed by
submarine; expresses regret and
readiness to make reparation, and as
sures the United States that the at
tack was not meant for the Ameri-
can flag, but is to be considered an
unfortunate accident"
Secretary Lansing made public the
German memorandum, which dis
poses of the hitherto undetermined
question whether the Nebraskan was
struck by a torpedo or by mine.
The memorandum closes the Incl
dent it was said, except for payment
of damages.
Secretary Lansing's announcement
follows:
Ambassador Gerard has tele-
graphed to the department of state
the following memorandum from the
German foreign office relative to the
damaging of the American steamer
Nebraskan by a German submarine:
The German government re-
ceived from newspaper reports the
intelligence that the American steam
er Nebraskan had been damaged by
a mine or torpedo on the southwes.
coast of Ireland. 1t therefore started
a thorough investigation of the case
without delay and from the result of
the investigation it has become con-
vinced that the damage to the Ne
braskan was caused by an attack by
submarine.
On the evening of May 25 last
the submarine met a steamer bound
westward without a flag and with no
neutral markings on her freeboard,
about 81 nautical miles west of Fast
net Rock; no appearance of any kind
for the illumination Of the flag or
markings was to be seen. In the twi-
light, which had already set in, the
name of the steamer was not visible
from the submarine. Since the COM
mander of the submarine was obliged
to assume from his wide experience
in the area of maritime war only
English steamers and no neutral
steamers traversed this war area
without flag and markings, he at.
tackled the vessel with a torpedo, in
the conviction that he had an enemy
vessel before him.
"'Some time after the shot the
commander saw that the vessel had
in the meantime hoisted the Ameri-
can flag. AS a consequence, he, OF
course, refraiEed from any further
attack. Since the vessel remained
afioat he had no occasion to concern
himself further with the boats which
had been launched.
1t results from this, without a
doubt, that the attack on the steamer
Nebraskan was not meant for the
american nag, nor is III JTGCeaDle 10
any fault on the part OF the com
mpnder of the German submarine.
but is to be considered an unfortu-
nate accident. The German govern
ment expresses its regret at the oc~
currence to the government OF the
United States of America and de-
clares its readiness to make compen-
sation for the damage thereby sus-
tanned by Ameii lean citizens"
The official report Of the attack
forwarded by Ambassador Page after
Investigation by Lieutenant John H.
Towers, naval attache OF the EN-.
bassy, said the Nebraskan was in
water ballast, outbound from Liver.
pool for Delaware Breakwater and
that although her flag had been haul.
ed down just after sunset, as is the
custom, there were painted on her
sides in letters six feet high the
words. "Nebraskan, New York"