Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-05-17
DIsAvOwAL ON SUSSEX SINKING.
Submarine Commander VIII he Pun
ishctl-Indcmnity Given.


in her note accepting Americas posi-
ton in the submarine issue. Ambas-
sador Gerard to-day cabled the State
Department that the Kaiser has for
mally admitted that a German sub
marine attacked the channel packet
Sussex, and that formal admission to
this government is en- route to Wash
ingtOn.
Fun disavowal, ample rcparation
and punishment Of the submarine
commander will be given, it was stat
ed at the German embassay when it
was learned that Ambassador Gerard
had received the German admission
OF guilt. The pledge in the German
note, German embassy Ofncials stat
ed, makes it obvious that there will
be no hesitation by Germany on these
points.
Embassy officials would not fore
cast what the punishment Of the com
mandcr would be, but they explained
that it would not be too lenient, since
German naval discipline for violations
Of instructions, especially as import
ant rs are those involved in subma-
rine warfare, IS very strict.
The question Ot the amount Of in
dcmniiy awaits the claims OF Ameri-
cans.
Text OF German Note.
Following Is the text Of the Ger
man note in reply to the last note OF
the United States:
'Supplcmenting his note Of the { tn
instant concerning the conduct Of lhG
German submarine warfare, the uh-
dersigned has the honor to inform his
cXccllcncy. the American ambassa-
dor, Mr.. James w. Gerard that the
further investigation made by the
German naval authorities concerned,
in regard to the French steamship
Sussex, on the basis OF the American
material. has been concluded in the
meantime. In conformity with the
result OF this investigation the as
sumption expressed in the note Of
the undersigned Of the 10th ultimo,
that the damage of the Sussex was to
he traced back to Il cause other than
the attack Of q German submarine,
cannot be maintained.
'Such an assumption had to he ar
rived at with certainty from the ma
terial in the possession Of the Ger
man government for itself. and with
out further knowledge of the circum-
stances connected with the torpedo
ing OF the Sussex, the more 50 as
apart from the points enumerated in
the note Of the 10th ultimo, the fol-
lowing facts had come to the atten-
ton Of tho admiralty staff OF the
navy, through reliable information:
March "a, 1916, approximately at the
same time as the Sussex. an auxiliary
warship left the port Of Folkstone
with a large transport Of British in
fantry on board; on the same day 4
transport steamer was torpedoed in
the channel: few minutes preced-
ing the explosion on the Sussex she
had passed through mass Of ship
wreckagc, which created the impress
sion that ship had sunk at that
spot shortly before. All these facts
case Of torpedoing which could be
considered under the circumstances,
had struck the British war vessel.
whereas the Sussex had met with an
accident in some other way.
American Evidence Convincing.
"However on the basis OF the
American material, the German gov
ernment cannot withhold its convic-
tion that the ship t0rpedocd by the
German submarine is, in fact, idcnti-
cal with the Sussex, for, in accord
ancc with this material. the place,
the time and the effect OF this eXplo-
sion by which the Sussex was dam
aged, agree in the essential details
with the statements Of the German
commander, so that there can no lon
ger be any question OF the possibility
OF two independent occurrences. An
additional reason is constituted by
the fact that officers Of the American
navy found fragments Of an explosive
in the hold Of the Sussex, which are
described by them upon the firm
grounds rs parts OF German tor
pedo.
"Finally the counter evidence
which was deduced in the note Of the
10th ultimo from the difference in ap-
pcarancc Of the vessel described by
the submarine commander and the
only reproduction OF the SUSSEX then
available, has proven to be untcna-
Bile. inasmuch as according to pho
tograph Of the damaged Sussex now
to hand, the characteristic distinc-
tionS no longer existed at the time OF
tho accident; while the Sussex in the
photograph Of my Daily Graphic en-
closed in the note only carried one
mast and also showed the white gang
way customary on passenger vessels
on the level with the port holes
O w s. the reproduction OF the dam
aged Sussex shows Il second mast and
uniform dark color, and thus aD-
preached in her outer appearance the
description OF the vessel rs furnished
by the submarine commander.
U-Boat Chief Punished.
In view OF the general impression
OF all the facts III hand the German
government considers it beyond
doubt that the commander Of the sub
marine acted in the bona fidc belief