Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-04-20


10 Dieppe. The Sussex had never been
armed; was vessel known to be habit
ually used only for the conveyance of
passengers across the English channel
and was not following the route taken
v troop ships or supply ships. About
50 Of her passengers, non-combatants
of all ages and sexes, including citi.
zens Of the United States, were killed
or injured
Sussex Inquiry
"A careful, detailed and scrupulously
impartial investigation by naval and
military officers of the United States
has conclusvely established the fact
that the Sussex was torpedoed without
warning or summons to surrender and
that the torpedo by which she was
struck was of German manufacture In
the view Of the government of the Uni
ted States these facts from the first
made the conclusion that the torpedo
was fred by a German submarine un-
avoidable. 1t now considers that con-
clusion substantiated by the statements
Of Your Excellency's note. full state
ment of the facts upon which the gov
ernment of the United States has based
its conclusion is inclosed.
THE government of the United States
after having given careful considera ton
TO the note of the imperial government
of the 10th of April regrets to state that
the impression made upon it by the
statements and proposals contained in
that note is that the imperial govern
ment has failed to appreciate the gravity
of the situation which has resulted, not
alone from the attack on the Sussex, but
from the whole method and character of
submarine warfare as disclosed by the
unrestrained practice of the commanders
of German undersea craft during the
past twelve month and more in the in
discriminate destruction of merchant ves-
sells of all sorts. nationalities, and des-
tinatons. If the sinking of the Sussex
had been an isolated case the govern
ment of the United States might find it
possible to hope that the officer who was
responsible for that act had wlfully vio-
lated his orders or had been criminally
negligent in taking none of the precau-
tons they prescribed. and that the ends
OF Justice might be satisfied by imposing
upon him an adequate punishment
coupled with formal disavowal of the
act and payment of d suitable indemni-
ty by the imperial government But,
though the attack upon the Sussex was
manifestly indefensble and caused a loss
of life SO tragical as to make it stand
forth as one Of the most terrible exam
pies Of the inhumanity of submarine war
fare as the commanders of German ves-
sells are conducting it, it unhappily does
not stand alone.
But One Incident in Many
"On the contrary, the government of
the United States is forced by recent
events to conclude that it is only one in
stance, even though one of the most ex-
treme and most distressing instances, of
the deliberate method and spirit of in
discriminate destruction of merchant YES
sells of all sorts, nationaiities and des-
,inations which have become more and
more unmistakable as the activity of Ger
man undersea vessels of war has in re-
cent months been quickened and extend
ed.
The imperial government will recall
that when, in February. 1915. it announc-
ed Its intention of treating the waters
surrounding Great Britain and Ireland
as embraced with the seat of war and of
destroyinW all merchant ships owned by
Its enemies that might be found within
that zone of danger. and warned all ves-
sells. neutral as well as belligerent, to
keep out of the waters thus prescribed
or to enter them at their peril the gov
ernment of the United States earnestly
protested.
IL took the position that such a
p"iicE could not be pursued without
constant gross and palpalable viola
fions of the accepted law of nations.
particularly if submarine craft were
~ be employed as its instruments, in
asfnuch as the rules prescribed by
the law, rules founded on the princi-
pies of humanity and established for
ire protection of the lives Of non-com-
hatantS at sea- could not in the ma
ture of the case be observed by such
vessels. 1t based its protest Oh the
ground that persons of neutral nation
ailty and vessels of neutral ownership
would be exposed to extreme and in
tollerable risks: and that no right to
close any part of the high seas could
lawfully he asserted by the Imperial
government in the circumstances then
existing. The law of nations in these
matters, upon which the government
Of the United States based that pro-
test. is not of recent origin or found
ed upon merely arbitrary principles set
up by convention. 1t is based. on the
contrary, upon manifest principles Of
humanity and has long been estab-
hshed with the approval and by the
express assent OF all civilized nations.
Germany's Persistence
The Imperial government notwith-
standing, persisted in carrying out the
policy announced expressing the hope
that the dangers involved at any date
TO neutral vessels would be reduced
to minimum by the instructions
which it had issued to the command
ers Of its submarines, and assuring
lhe government Of the United States
that 1t would take every possible pre-
caution both to respect the rights of
neutrals and to safeguard the lives of
Hon-combatants.
In pursuance Of this policy of sub
marine warfare against commerce OF
Its adversaries. thus announced and
thus entered upon in despite Of the SOL
emn protest Of the government Of the
United States, the commanders Of the
imperial governments undersea ves-
sells have arried m nro o<Soas of s,,oh