Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-11
GERMANY ADMITS
FULL BLAME FOR
SUSSEX SINKING
Submarine Commander Is
Punished and Adequate
Indemnity Promised.
VIOLATED ASSURANCES
GIVEN TO UNITED STATES
Contention Originally Set Up Ex-
ploded by Facts Furnished by
American Government.
NOTE COMES FROM GERARD
Indicated at State Department That
Case VIII BE Considered
Closed.
VIOLATED ASSURANCES
GIVEN TO UNITED STATES
NOTE COMES FROM GERARD
Indicated at State Department That
Case Will BE Considered
Closed.

in note received to-day by cable from
Ambassador Gerard. at Berlin. admits
that she torpedoed the channel steamer
the United States. expresses regret for :
the incident. states that the submarine
commander has ben appropriately pun
ished" and declares her readiness tc
pay an adequate indemnity to Ameri-
cans injured on the vessel
II was indicated al the State Depart.
ment that the German statement that
the German commander had been pun
iShed would be accepted and the Sussex
case considered closed. except for
arranging for the payment OF ndemni-
ties to the several citizens Of the United
States who were hurt. There probably
will be no attempt to regotiate for
these indennitics or for final settlement
OF tho Lusitania and other cases pend
ing, however. until sufficient time has
elapsed to indicate how the last Ameri-
can note was received I'm Berlin and
whether the new submarine policy is
being lived up to-
ORIGINAL. CONTENTION
CANNOT BE: MAINTAINED
Results of an investigation. based
on facts supplied by the American gov
crnmcnt, the German communication
says. has shown that tho contention
originally set up that the explosion Of
the Sussex was to he traced to : cause
other than a German submarine attack
cannot be maintained. While assert
ing that tho submarine commander
thought he was dealing with an enemy
warship. Foreign Minister Jngow ad-
mlts that he formed his Judgment too
II htIrr rtnrll - T..
fully In accordance with the strict In
struction which called upon him to
exercise particular care.
Officials of the State Department.
noted particularly the passage OF the
note, which said. ''in view Of these
the German government
frankly admits that the assurance
given the American government, In
accordance with which passenger yes-
sells were not to be attacked without
warning, has not been adhered to in
the present case" This was regarded
as indicating purpose on Germany's
part 10 decline to pay indemnities for
Americans killed or injured on shin.
other than passenger liners prior to the
date OF the last note. in which the
German government promised that
freight as we'll as passenger vessels
would not be attacked without warming
or without provision for the safety fot
the persons aboard. Any response ia
the note received to-day probably wilt
make n distinct reservation of AmeriA
can rights on this point.
NOTE FROM Won JAGow
TRANSMITTED BY GERARD
The text follows:
"Supplem enting his note OF the 4th
instant. concerning tho conduct of the
German submarine warfare. the under4
signed has the honor to inform His Exa
cellency. the American ambassador, Mr..
James w. Gerard, that the further int
vestigation inade by tho 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 con-
formity with this investigation, the as
sumption expressed in the note of the
Undersigned OF the tenth ultimo. that
the damage OF the Sussex was to be
traced back to cause other than the
attack of German submarine, can.
not be maintained.
Such an assumption had to be ar
rived at with certainty from the ma
terial In the possession OF tho German
government, for Itself. and without
further knowledge of the circumstances
connected with the torpedoing OF the
Sussex. the more so apart from the
points enumerated In the note of the
tenth ultimo, the following facts had
come 10 the attention of admiralty
staff OF the navy through reliable In
formation. March 81. 1916, appro1i-
mately at the same. time as the Sus-
sex. an auxiliary warship left the port
of Folkstone with large transport Of
British infantry on board: on the same
day a transport steamer was tor
pedoed in the channel; a few minutes
preceding the explosion on the Sussex,
she had passed through mass OF ship
which created the impress
sion that ship had sunk at that spot
shortly before All these facts justf-
fed the conclusion that the only case
OF torpedoing which could be consld-
cred under the circumstances, had
struck the British var vessel. whereas
the Sussex had met with an accident
In some other way.
ADMITS SHIp TORPEDoED
IDENTICAL WITH SUSSEX
however, on the basis of the
American material. the German gov
ernment cannot withhold its conviction
that the ship torpedoed by the German
submarine Is In fact identical with tho
Sussex. for. in accordance with this
material, the place, the time and the
effect OF tho explosion by which the
Sussex was damaged agree In thsp
details with the statements OF z
the American ambassador. so that there
ran no longer he any question OF tho
possibility OF two independent 0oouH