Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-06-17
TONE is MUCH MILDER THAN WAS TO Be EXPECTED
United States Will Not Abandon Any Part of
Open Sea Because of Declaration War
Zone, and Will Insist on the
Protection of Neutrals
in That Right.

Washington, D. C.--The long
looked for message to Germany,
which has been in course of prepare
ton for a week or more, and which
has split the presidential cabinet,
has at last been sent.
Its tone is considerably milder
than Mr.. Bryan's resignation would
indicate, but on the whole it is a
fair statement Of the position of the
United States.
The document is signed by Hon.
Robert Lansing, as secretary of state
ad interim, and is as follows:
The Secretary of State AID Interim
to the American Ambassador to Ber-
lin: Department of State, Washing
ton, June 8, 1915.-American Ambas-
sador, Berlin: You are instructed to
deliver textually the following note
to the minister of foreign affairs:
In compliance with your excel
1ency's request / did not fail to trans
NIT to my government Immediately
upon their receipt your note of May
% in reply to my note of May Is and
your supplementary note of June 1,
setting forth the conclusions so far
as reached by the Imperial German
government concerning the attacks
on the American steamers Cushing
and Gulflight. I am now instructed
by my government to communicate
In reply:
The government Of the United
States notes with qualification the
full recognition by the Imperial Ger
mar government, in discussing the
cases Of the Gushing and the Gulf
light, Of the principle of freedom Of
al parts of the open sea to neutral
ships and the frank willingness of the
Imperial German government to ac-
knowledge and meet its liability
where the fact of attack upon neutral
ships (which have not been guilty
of any hostile act" by German air
craft or vessels of war is satisfac-
torily established, and the govern
ment Of the United States will in due
course lay before the Imperial Ger
man government, Is it requests, full
information concerning the attack on
the steamer Cushing.
Sinking Of Steamer FaIaba.
With regard to the sinking of the
steamer Falaba, by which an Ameri
can citizen lost his life, the govern.
. ment of the United States Is sur
prised to find the Imperial German
government contending that an eff
fort on the part of a merchantmen
to escape capture and secure assist
.ance alters the obligation of the of
ficer seeking to make the capture In
respect Of the safety OF the lives Of
those on board the merchantmen, al
though the vessel had ceased her at
tempt to escape when t~orpedoed.
These are not new circumstances
They have been in the minds Of
statesmen and Of international jurists
throughout the development Of nava
warfare, and the government of the
United States does not understand
that they have ever been held to altei
the principles of humanity upor
which 1t has insisted. Nothing bu'
actual forcible resistance or contin
ued efforts to escape by flight wher
ordered to stop for the purpose o
visit on the part Of the merchantmen
has ever been held to forfeit the live'
of her passengers or crew. The gov
eminent Of the United States, how
ever, does not understand that thu
Imperial German government Is seek
ing in this case to relieve itself o
liability, but only intends to set fortl
the circumstances which led tn
Apnroprlate Action.