The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-20


Foreign Affairs communication reading follows:
II did not fail to transmit Immediately, by telegraph to
my Government Exceency note of the tenth instant
in regard to certain attacks by German submarines and
cuar regard to the disastrous explosion which March
"a last wrecked the French steamship Sussex the English
Channel have the honor to deliver under instructions
from Government the following reply your Exceency
Information in the possession of the Government
of the United States fully establishes the facts in the of
the Sussex and the differences which my Government has
drawn from that information regards confirmed by the
set forth in Exceenc note of the tenth
instant.
Cites Responsibility in Sussex Case.
ION the Gath of March, 1916 about 80 O'Clock in the
afternoon the unarmed Sussex. with 325
passengers on board among whom number of Amer
citizens opedoed while crossing from Fokestone to
Deppe. The Sussex had never been armed was vessel
known to be used habua only for the of
sengers the English Channe and not following
the route taken by troop ships supply ships About eighty
GLIDING citizens of the United States killed injured
"A careful detailed and scrupuousy impartial inves
cation by naval and military officers Of the United States has
conclusvey established the fact that the Sussex tor
pedoed without warning summons to surrender and that
the torpedo by which she struck of German manu-
acure In the view of the Government of the United States
these facts from the first made the that the tor
pedo was fired by German submarine unavoidable 1t now
considers that conclusion by the statements of
Exceencys note full statement of the facts upon
which the Government of the United States has based its
conclusion is enclosed
"The Government of the United States. after having
given consideration to the note of the Imperial Government
of the 10th April regrets that the impression made
os % Sss to-
the gravity Of the situation which has resulted not alone
character of submarine disclosed by the
restrained practice Of the commanders of German undersea
craft during the past twelve months and in the nds
crmnate destruction of merchant vessels of all Sorts
onales, and destinations
the Government the United States might find possible
to hope that the officer who responsible for that act had
in taking of the precautions they prescribe and that the
ends of justice might be satisfied by imposing upon him
p0a1 oCf
the act and payment Of suitable indemnity by the Imperial
Government.
Terrible Example of Inhumanity.
But though the attack upon the Sussex manfesty
ndefensbe and caused loss of life tragica make it
stand forth of the most terrible examples of the in
humanity of submarine warfare the commanders of Ger
vessels conducting it, unhappiy does not stand
alone.
is forced by recent events to conclude that is only one in
stance though of the most extreme and most dis
ndscrmnae destruction of merchant vessels of all Sorts
natonaltes and destinations which have become and
unmsakabe the activity of German undersea
sells of has recent months been uckened and extended
"The Imperial Government will recall that when in
February 1915 announced its intention of treating the
surrounding Great Britain and Ireland embraced
within the seat of and of destroying all merchant ships
owned by its enemies that might be found within that of
danger and warned all vessels neutral well begerent
keep out of the waters thus or to enter them at
peril the Government of the United States earnestly
protested.
sued without constant and papabe violations of the
accepted law of nations particularly if submarine craft
be employed it's Instruments nasmuch the rules
prescribed by that law rules founded the principles of
humanity and established for the protection of the lives of
nocombatans could not the nature of the be
by such vessels based it's protest the ground
that persons of neutral nationality and vessels of neutral
ownership would be exposed extreme and ntoerab risks
and that right close part the high could law
fully asserted by the Imperial Government in the crcum
stances then existing.
Based on Humanitys Laws.
The law of nations in these matters upon which the
of tho IYpitod hoSad
of recent origin founded upon merely arbitrary prnc
pes set up by convention 1t is based the contrary upon
manifest principles of humanity and has long been estab
sed with the approval and by the express assent of all
civilized nations.
"The Imperial Government notwithstanding persisted
in carrying out the policy announced expressing the hope
that the dangers involved at rate to neutral vessels
would be reduced to minimum by the instructions which
had issued the commanders of its submarines and
ing the Government of the United States that would take