New Britain herald., 1915-05-31
TEXT on GERMANS REPLY TO WILSON'S NOTE ON NLUSITANIA
Document Declares British Liner Was Armed and That Kaiser's Submarine Acted in Justified
 Sef-d efence.

itself in this connection to point out that the Lusitania was one of the 1 largest and fastest British merchant ! ships, built with government funds as
 an auxiliary cruiser and carried eA- | pressly as such in the Navy List 1 issued by the British admiralty. ] Equipped With Cannon.
 It is further known to the imperial ! government from trustworthy reports l frem it's agents and neutral passen- 1 gers that for a considerable time l practically all the inuIc valuable ! British merchantmen have been 1 equipped with cannon and ammu- l milton and other weapons and manned l with persons who have been specially. trained in serving guns. The Lusi- ! tania too according 10 Information ] received had cannon aboard which 1 We're mounted and concealed below 1 decks
 "The imperial government, further. has the honor to direct. the particu- lar attention of the Ame1;can govern Inent to the fact that the :5ritish ad- In:ralty in confidential instruction, issued in February. 1915, recom- nended it's mercantile shipping not only to seek protection unGer neutral f}e.gs and distinguishing marks, but also, while thus disguised, to attack German submarines by ramming. As a special incitation to merchantmen tc destroy submarines. the British government also offered nigh prizes and has already paid such rewards British Merchantmen Not Undcfendeei
 "The imperial government. in view of these facts undubitably known to 1t. is unable to regard British n,er- chantment i'll the zone of naval oper- ations specified by the admiralty staff of the German navy as undefended German commanders consequently are no longer able to observe the tcusto- mary regulations of the prize law. which they before always followed.
 Finally, the imperial government must point out particularly that the Lusitania on its last trip, as on earlier occasions, carried Canadian troops and war material, including no less than 5.400 cases of ammunition intended for the destruction of the brave Ger man soldiers who are fulfilling their duty with self sacrifice and devotion In the Fatherland's service.
 The German government believes that it was acting in justified self-de- fence In seeking with all the means of warfare at it's disposition to pro- tect the lives of it's soldiers by de- stroying ammunition intended for the 1 enemy. Aware of Danger.
 .The British shipping company must have been aware of the danger to tania were exposed under these con- iy, ,lno, .lri, them, notwithstanding this, attempt ed deliberately to use the lives of 1 American citizens as protection for l the ammunition aboard and acted against the clear provisions of the l American law, which expressly pros hibits the forwarding of passengers on ships carrying ammunition and provides penalty therefor. The company, therefore, is wantonly guilty l of the death of so many passengers.
 There can be do doubt, according to the definite report of the submar- ine's commander, which is further copffrmed by all other information, that the sinking of the Lusitania Is primarily attributable to the explo- sion of the ammunition shipment caused by a torpedo. The Lusitana's passengers would otherwise in all hu- man probability have been saved.
 "'The imperial government considers the above mentioned facts important enough to recommend them to the at tentiye examination of the American government.
 Defeated by British.
 The imperial government while ] withholding it's final decision on tho demands advanced in connection with the sinking of the Lusitania until re- ceipt Of answer from the American government feels impelled in conclu- sion to recall here and now that it l took cognizanze with satisfaction of mediatory proposals submitted by the United Government to Berlin and London as a, basis for rnodus viyendi for conducting the maritime warfare between Germany and Great Britain. The imperial government. by it's read mess to enter upon a discussion of these proposals, then demonstrated it's good intentions in ample fashion. The realization of these proposals was de- feated, as is we'll known, by the dec linatory attitude of the British gov ernment.
 "The undersigned takes occasion, etcetera.
 JAGoW."