Bisbee daily review., 1916-04-13

by a German submarine through sign als and shot about one hundred-not one hundred and thirty-sea miles from the southwest coast of Ireland. but proceeded. She was thereupon fired upon until halted. and, without further orders, lowered two boats in which the crew took their places After the commander convinced him. self that the boats. which had hoisted sails. had gotten clear of the steamer, he sank the ship.
 At the time of the sinking a north northwest wind of the strength of two. not a storm wind, and a light
 swell. not a heavy sea. was stated in the given description, prevailed. / The boats therefore had every pro spect of being up very quickly be- cause the place of the sinking lay on much used steamer path.
 If the crew of the steamer used only two small boats for saving them- selves, the responsibility falls upon themselves since there was still upon
 the steamer, as the commander es- tablished. at least four big collapsible
 boats.
 "Fifth-The French steamer Sussex.
 Ascertainment of the fact whether
 the channel steamer Sussex was dam- aged by German submarine was rendered extremely difficult because no exact edtails of time. place, and attendant circumstances of the sink ing were known and also because il was impossible to obtain a picture of the ship before April 6. Consequently the investigation had to be extended to all actions undertaken on the day in question-March 26. in channel in | the general region between Folk stone and Dieppe.
 Tn this region on March 24. ! long. black craft. without a flag, hay ' ing a gray funnel. small gray forward
 works and two high masts. was en-
 countered about the middle of the ! English Channel by a German submaT- | inc. The commander reached the de ] finite conclusion that it was a war vessel. and indeed. mine layer or the recently built English Arabis class. He led 10 the conviction by | the following facts:
 ! First by the plain, unbroken deck of the ship; second, the form of the stern, sloping downward and back ward like a war vessel: third, she ! was painted like warship; fourth the high speed developed. about IS | knots: fifth. the circumstances that
 the vessel did not keep a course north ward of the light buoys between ' Dungeness and Beachy Head. which according to the frequent and unvary~
 ing obstructions Of German submar- ines, is about the course of commer- i cial vessels, but kept in the middle of the channel on a course about in ! the direction of Le Havre.
 Consequently, he attacked the yes
 sel at 3:55 in the afternoon middle
 European time. one and one half sea i miles east of Bull Rock Bank. the l submarine being submerged. The torpedo struck and caused such a 1 violent explosion in the forward part 7 of the ship that the entire forwafd
 part was torn away to the bridge. The particularly violent explosion i warrants the certain conclusion that
 great amounts of ammunition were [ aboard.
 The German commander made a sketch of the vessel attacked by him,
 two drawings of which are enclosed. The picture of the steamer Sussex, two copies of which also are en-
 closed. is reproduced photosraphical-
 ly from the English parer The Daily Graphic of the 27th ultimo.
 "A comparison of the sketches and
 the picture shows that the craft at
 tackled is not identical with the Sus- sex, the difference in the position Of
 the stack and shape of the stern is particularly striking.
 No other attack, whatever. by Ger man submarines at the time in ques- ton for the Sussex upon the route between Folkstone and Dieppe oc- cured The German government must therefore assume that the in jury to the Sussex is attributed to another cause than an attack by a German submarine
 For an explanation of the case, the fact may perhaps be sustained that no less 26 English mines were exploded by shots by German naval forces in the channel on the first and second of April alone. The entire Std lii lildA NhliltAg iS III lttN ed by floating mines and by torpedocs that have not sunk. Off the English 1 coast it is further endangered in an | increasing degree through German mines which have been laid against | enemy naval forces.
 Should the American government . have at it's disposal further material for a conclusion upon the case of the . Sussex. the German government would . ask that it be communicated in order ! to subject the material also to an in- yestigation.
 Tn the event that differences of opinion should develop hereby be- tween the two governments, the Ger man government now declares itself ready to have the facts of the ease established through mixed commits sions of investigation in accordance with the Hague agreement.
 'The undersigned. while requesting that you communicate the above to the government Of the United States, takes occasion tO renew to the Am bassador the assurance of his dis tinguished esteem.