Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-01-20
ATROCITIES ARE
POINTED OUT.

LONDON, Jan. 19.-The British of
ficial view of the German note regard
ing the Baralong case was given out
tonight as follows:
THE Germans claim that their army
and navy have observed during the
present war the principles of interna-
tional law and humanity and that the
German authorities take care that all
violations will be carefully investi-
gated and punished.
'Some surprise Is expressed that
the nation whose armed forces have
been responsible 70 rthe sake of LOU
vain, the murder of hundreds of un-
offending men, women and children
on the Lusitania and other ships, the
execution of Edith Cayell, the intro
duction of poisonous gases, the pois-
oning of wells, attempted torpedoing
OF hospital ships and countless other
atrocities should describe their meth
DDS on warfare as human.
1T is here pointed out that IL would
be interesting to know how many
German subjects, If any, have. been
punished for these atrocities. The
Germans claim that the Arabic was
torpedoed because the commander Of
the submarine had the conviction that
the Arabic was about to ram the sub
marine. The true facts are that the
Arabic was deliberately sunk by a
German submarine without warning
and that she neither attempted to
attack the submarine nor escape from
IT,
with regard TO the destruction of
the British submarine E-13 in Danish
waters by a German torpedo boat de-
stroyer, II Is claimed that il came to
fight between the war vessels and
that the submarine defended itself
with gunfire. These facts are as fol-
lows:
Submarine E-13 Case.
"The Germans found the submarine
stranded in neutral waters and in.
capable Of either offense or defense.
The German destroyer fired torpedo
at the E-13. The torpedo exploded
close to her. At the same moment the
German destroyer fired with all her
guns and the commander of the E-13,
whose submarine was afire fore and
aft and who was unable to defend
himself owing to being aground, gave
orders to the crew to abandon her.
While the men were In the water they
were fired on by machine guns and
with shrapnel.
"The Germans defend their action
In the case of the Ruel on the ground
that It was measure of reprisal in
accordance with measures announced
by the German government in Feb
ruary, 1915. 1t is claimed that these
reprisals are legitimate, owing to the
action of Great Britain in trying
to cut off from Germany all imports
and starve the German people. The
Germans thus maintain their subma
rine policy in regard to the British
measures against German trade.
This is, of course. quite untrue
the exact opposite being the case. AS
far back as December, 1914, Admiral
Won Tirpitz foTeshadowed the subnla
rine blockade of Great Britain and
submarine attacks were made on .
merchant ship and hospital snip or
January 80, and February 1. respec
lively. Moreover, as far back as Sep
tember, 1914, Dutch ship, with {
cargo of grain for Dublin and Belfast
was sunk by the Karlsruhe, and tho
American ship w. p. Rrye similarl!
was sunk on January rs.
"Further. on February 4, the Ger
man government declared their inten
tion OF instituting general submarine
| VI ulSbL titN ~
with the ayowed purpose Of cuttinf OF
all supplies from these islands ant
this blockade yas put into effect ~
February 1S.
| ut was only on March IL, that th'
British government put into force "
a means of reprisals, measures agains
| German trade which the German gov
ernment now tries to maintain wer
| the cause Of their submarine policy.
"With regard to the German refusa
to submit the Baralong case and tn
three cases put forward by the Britisl
| government for Investigation by al
| Impartial neutral tribunal, this actioi
| seems hard to explain If the German
are really so convinced as they say o
| the guilt OF the British commando
1 and the innocence OF the perpetrator
/ of three outrages cited by the Britis
government.
$50 far as Great Britain is cor
cerned. II is entirely untrue to stat
that the British government has lei
untitled just demand for inyestigf
tion. They have proposed II and
is the Germans who have rejected y
doubtless because they know full we
that the cases In which they are d'
-