Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-05-14
asked 70 C[IS[
submarine warfare
NOTE 70 GERMANY INSISTS MER.
cHANTMEN MUST NOT BE
ATTACKED.
INTERNATIONAL LAWS
HAVE BEEN VIOLATED

Been Destroyed or Menacsd-Wash
inston Holds Establishment Of So.
Called War Zone 10 illegal.
Washington, May II. The United
States government cabled Ambassador
Gerard for presentation to the German
government the note calling attention
ito the grave situation which has re-
suited" from violation Of American
rights on the high seas, eliminating in
the sinking of the Lusitania with a
loss Of more than one hundred Amer
lean lives.
The communication expressed the
confident expectation of the United
States that the imperial German gov
eminent will disavow the acts of which
complains, that they will make rep
aration as far as reparation is possible
for injuries which are without mea sure
and that they will take mediate steps
to prevent the recurrence Of anything
so obviously subversive Of the princi-
pies of warfare for which the imperial
German government in the past SO
wisely and so firmly commended"
Text 10 Made Public.
In Its conclusion the note states
that the imperial German government
will not expect the government Of the
United States to omit any word or any
act necessary to the performance Of its
~ INT init hn III q
Of the United States and its citizens
and Of safeguarding their free exercise
and Enjoyment"
The full text OF the note was made
public last night by the state depart
ment as follows:
Department Of State, Washington.
D. c., May 13. 1915.-The secretary Of
state to the American ambassador At
Berlin: Please call on the minister Of
foreign affair and after reading to him
this communication leave with him o
copy.
In view Of recent acts Of the Ger
man authorities in violation Of Ameri-
can rights on the nigh seas, which Gull
minated in the torpedoing and sinking
Of the British steamship Lusitania on
May Z, 1915, by which over one hum
dred American citizens lost their lives,
1t is clearly wise and desirable that the
government of the United States and
the imperial German government
should come to clear and full UNDER
standing as to the grave situation
which has resulted.
Lists Three Cases.
The sinking Of the British passen-
ger steamer Falaba ny q German SUBJ
marine on March 20, thru which Leon
c. Thrasher. an American citizen was
drowned; the attack on April 2S on the
American vessel Cushing by German
acceptance; the torpedoing on May OF
the American vessel Gulflight by a
German submarine, as result OF
which two or more American citizens
met their death and, finally, the tor
pedoing and sinking Of the steamship
Lusitania, constitute n series Of events
which the government Of the United
States has observed with growing con-
Germ. Distress and amazement.
Recalling the humane and enlight-
ened attitude hitherto assumed by the
imperial German government in mat
ters Of international right and particu-
larly with regard to the freedom OF the
seas; having learned totrecognize the
German views and the German influ-
ence In the field Of international Obli-
cation as always engaged upon the
side Of justice and humanity; and hav-
ing understood the instructions 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 cations, the
government Of the United States was
loath to believe--it can not now bring
itself to believe-.hat these acts, 50
absolutely contrary to the rules, the
practices, and the spirit Of modern
warfare, could have the countenance or
sanction Of that great government. It
feels 1t to be its duty, therefore, to
address the imperial German govern
ment concerning them with the utmost
frankness, and in the earnest hope that
it is not mistaken in expecting action
on the part of the imperial German
government which will correct the un-
created, and vindicate once moro the
position Of that government with re-
gard to the sacred freedom Of the seas.
Reviews War Zone DsorsA
''The government of the United
States has been apprised that the
imperial German government consid-
cred themselves to be obliged by the
extraordinary circumstances Of the
present war, and the measures adopted
by their adversaries In seeking to
cut Germany on from all commerce, to
adopt methods of retaliation which go
much beyond the ordinary methods OF
warfare at sea, In the proclamation Of
q war zone from wnicn lney nave
warned neutral ships to keep away.
This government has already taken oc-
casion to INFORM the imperial govern
ment that 1t can not admit the adoption
of such measures or such q warning
Of danger to operate as in any DE-
gree an abbreviation of the rights a
American shipmasters or OF Amerf-
can citizens bound on lawful errands
as passengers on merchants ships Of
belligerent nationality; and that It
must hold the imperial German gov
eminent to q strict accountability for
any infringement Of those rights, In
territorial or incidental. It does not UNI
derstand the imperial German govern
ment to question those rights.
IL assumes, on the contrary, that
the imperial government accept. as
Of course. the rule that the lives Of
noncombatants, whether they be OF
neutral citizenship or citizens OF any
o. the nations at war. can not law
fully or rightfully be put II jeopardy
by the capture or destruction Of an
unarmed merchantmen, and recognizes
also, ~ all other nations do, the obli-
cation to take the usual precaution Of
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