Evening journal., 1916-04-20

WASHINGTON. April 2O.-Follow-
ng is the full text Of President viii
sons final note on the submarine ques-
ion, which was forwarded to Germany
yesterday:
The text Of the American note to
Germany signed by Secretary LANSING
and addressed to Ambassador Gerard
in Berlin, follows:
You are instructed to deliver to
the secretary Of foreign affairs a COM
munitatiOn reading as follows:
/ did not fail to transmit immedi-
ately. by telegraph, to my govern
ment Your Excellency's note OF the
10th instant in regard to certain at
tacks by German submarines, and
particularly in regard TO the disas-
trous explosion which on March "a
last. wrecked the French steamer
Sussex in the Channel. / have now
the honor TO deliver, under instruc-
tions from my government, the fol-
lowing reply to Your EXcellencyt@
Information now in the possession
of the Government of the United
States fully establishes the facts in
the case of the Sussex. and the infer
cnces which my government has
drawn from the information it re-
CARDS as confirmed by the circum-
stances set forth in Your Excellency's
note Of the 10th instant. On the Oath
Of March, 1916. at about 2.50 o'clock
In the afternoon. the unarmed steamer
Sussex, with 326 or more passengers
on board, among whom were a num-
ber OF American citizens, was tor
Dodoed while crossing from FOlke-
stone to Dieppe, The Sussex had
never been armed; was vessel
known 20 be habitually used only for
the conveyance Of passengers across
the English Channel; and was not
following the route taken by troop
ships or supply ships. About so Of her
passengers. nOn-comhatants OF all
ages and sexes. including citizens Of
the United States. we're killed or in
jured
A careful. detailed. ami scrupu-
lousy impartial investigation by naval
and military officers of the United
States has conclusively established
the fact that the Sussex was torpe-
doed without warning or summons 10
surrender and that the torpedo by
which she was struck was OF Ger
man manufacture. In the view Of
the government OF the United States
these facts from the first made the
conclusion that the torpedo was fired
by a German submarine unavold-
able. II now considers that con-
clusion substantiated by the state
ments OF Your Excellency's note. A
full statement Of the facts upon
which the government Of the United
States has based its conclusion Is in
closed
Failed 10 Appreciate Situation.
The government Of the United
States. after having given careful
consideration TO the note Of tho I'm
perial Government OF the 10th Of
April. regrets to State that the inn
precision made upon Il by the stato-
.ments. and proposals contained IN
lthat note Is that the Imperial Gov
brnment has failed 10 appreciate the
gravity Of the situation which has
resulted. not alone from tho attack
on fhe Sussex. hut from the whole
method and character Of submarine
warfare as disclosed by the unre-
strained practice OF the commanders
Of German undersea craft during tho
past 70 months and more in the in
discriminate destruction Of merchant
vessels Of all sorts. nationalities and
destinations II the sinking Of the
Sussex had been an isolated case the
government Of the United States
might find It possible to hope that the
officer who was responsible for that
act had wilfully violated his orders or
had been criminally negligent in TAX
ing none of the precautions they pre-
scrihed. and that the ends of Justice
might be satisfied by imposing upon
him an adequate punishment. coupled
with a formal disavowai Of the act
and payment OF a suitable indemnity
by the Imperial Government. But
though the attack upon the Sussex
was manifestly indefensible and caus-
ed a loss of life so tragical as to
make il stand forth as one OF the
most terrible examples OF the inhu-
manity Of submarine warfare as the
commanders Of German vessels are