The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-05-31
Note From Germanu


The undersigned has The honor
20 submit to Ambassudur Gerard the
following answer 10 th, .ommuulrn.
tion Of May 10 regnuIiur the Injury
TO American interests through German
submarine warfare:
The imperial gOycruw.ut hus sub .
jccted the communicate pf lhr Amer .
lcm government to II tnumugh u,r-u |
RHtiuu aud entertaln- deep wish 10 .
cooperate In frank and friendly way
IN clearing up p~~Ih., muulcr
standing which may have arisen la
the relations between Dur tNo govern
mcuts through the event. mentioned by
the American geEefHffrtr
Regarding. firstly 'hr rasr- ~ the
American steamers Gushing and Gulf
light The American embassy has al
ready been informed tNur rhr D,rrmun
government has no lu'ulu OF sub
mittiug neutral ship, 'n 'Nr war zone.
which ARE guilty Of nu a,-N.r acts 20
attacks by submarine . submarines
or aylators ON the contrary the Grr.
0 IlNl lbI'fN lluNf lNlE'H....I.H |Irf'l IN
structcd most speciflcu.s to avoid nj
tarS- Oh such ships.
"lf ncutrnl ships in recent moathf
have suffered through tAr Drrmuu sub
Murine warfare. owing 10 mistakes In
Identification. II ~ II question only u
quite isolated and exceptional cusrs
which can be- attributed 40 the British
governments abuse ~ fug- together
with the suspicious Of .upuhlr brAu
yiur ~ the masters Of lhr ships
The German gOycrnmrn'. lu all
cases IN which II has hrrn shown hy
Investigations. that neutral ship not
Itself nt fnult was dum1prI by Grr.
man submarines or u'.our- has cA.
pressed regret over thr unfortunate
accident, and II justlfirI hy coalitions.
hn- offered indemntfu'uu
Investigations Made
The cases the Cushlrug and the
Outright Will be treated uu thr same
principles An investigate " both
cnses IL In progress. the result II
which viii presently hc communicated
to the embassy The iyyr,IgatIOu
can II necessary. be- supplemented by
an International call uu the Interim
tlonal commission Of inquiry as 'pro.
yidcd by Article Ill N The Hugur
agreement ~ October Is 1907
When sinking the British steamer
Falabn the commander " the German
submarine had the intention NJ Hlluw
Ink the passengers and crew fuI of.
portunity for safe escape only
when the master did mot obey the ur.
der 10 heaye to, but fled and sum.
moned help by rocket signals did the
German commander order the crew
aud passengers by signals aud mega
phones 10 leave the ship within ten
minutes. lie actually allowed them
twenty three minutes time aud fired
the torpedo only when suspicious craft
were fastening to the assistance " the
Falaba.
Regarding the los n NE hy the
sinking " the British passenger
steamer Lusltania, the German ~,
ernment has already expressed 10 the
neutral governments concerned It's
keen regret that CitiEeu- II their states
lost their lives.
Justified In Sinking Liner
"On this occasion the imperial gov.
| ernment however. cannot escape the
Impression TINT certain important facty
having n decided bearing on the stink
inc ~ tha 1 n,itutiu ,,n, l.,.... ............t 4
the attention ~ the American govern
ment
In the Interest II clear and COIN
plete understanding which the aim NJ
both governments, the imperial govern.
ment considers h first necessary to
convince itself that the information
! accessible 10 both governments about
the facts " the case Is complete aud lu
accord
The government of the United
States prorcds ou the assumption that
the Lusitanln could he regarded ii, an
! ordinary unarmrd nerchantman. The
Imperial government allows itself lu
this connection To point out that the
Lusltanls WIS one " the largest aud
fastest british merchant ships, built
with government funds as an auAllur,
cruiser und carried expressly as such
In the navy list issued by the British
admiralty.
1t Is further kuuwn TO the lmper
lal government from Trustworthy rr
ports FROM IT, agents and neutral pns
sengers that Tor considerable time All
the more valuable British merchant
men have been equipped with cannon
aud ammunition aud other weapons
and manned with persons who have
been specially trained In serving guns
The Lusltanlu, too according To In
formation rrriyrd here. had cannon
aboard which was mounted aud Ton
cealed below deck,
The imperial government further
has the honor tn direct the particular
attention Of the American government
10 the fact that the British admiralty
In confidential instruction issued la
February, 1918. recommended It's mcr
camille shipping mot only 10 seek pru.
lection under neutral flags and disth.
gushing marks but also while thus
disguised 10 attack German submarine
by ramming As II special incitatiun
TO merchantmen tu destroy submarines
the British government also offered
high prizes aud has already paid such
/ rewards
The imperial government, In view
Of these facts individually known tu #.
is unable To regard British merchant
men In the zone NJ naval operations
specified by the admiralty staff Of the
German navy ~ undefended' Gpr.
man commanders consequently are no
longer able to observe the customary
regulations ~ the prize law which they
before always followed
Finally the Imperial government
must point out particularly that the
Lusltania on It's last trip, as on earlier
] n.gauInns .uVvI..N 4 tNuuaII...