The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-20
SAmerica No Longer Able to
Accept German Pledges as
Made in Good Faith
BUT ONE THING
LEFT AFTER OFTEN
REPEATED INJURIES
Stop Murder on High Seas,
Says President, or We Sever
Diplomatic Relations With
the German Empire

Washingion. d. c. April 19-Ths
FOLLOWING note from the Secretary Of
state 10 Ambassador Gerard was de.
hvered to the German foreign office
at Berlin today
Department Of state Was~lti gtoa.
April 1s. 1916:
You are instructed to deliver TO the
Secretary OF Foreign Affairs COM
Hlunicat.on reading AS follows:
did not fail to transmit iut.n ed
lately. BY telegraph, to my Eoveruw ent
your ExceIlency's note Of the l0th, in
slant, In regard 10 certain attacks hy
German submarines, and p4arti.uls riy
IN regard 40. tbs disastrous explosion
which on March 20, last, wrecked the
French steamship Sussex in the Eng
lsh Channel. ! have now the honor
10 deliver. under instructions from my
government. the following renly 10
Your Exoeilency;
Facts As To sussex Established.
Information now in the possession
OF the government If the United states
fully establishes the facts in the case
OF the Sussex. and the differences
which my government has drawn
from that information it regards ~
confirmed by the circumstances set
forth in your Excellencys note ~ the
roth, instant ON the 24th Of Narcn.
1919, at about use @ clock in the af- ,
Y.
with 325 or more passengers on board.
among whom were a number Of Amer
Soen citizens was torpedoed while
crossing from FoikeSto,te 40 Dieppe
The Sussex had never been armed
was vessel known TO be nahituallr
used only for the conveyance CT pas
senRers across the English Channel;
and was NOT following the route taken
ny troop ships or supply ships. About
aA0 ~ r$ b ar1C
bantants OF all ages and sexes includ- /,
ing c4tiyens OF the United States. were
killed or injured
Torpedoed without Warming.
A careful, detailed, and scrupulo ls /
iy impa rtial investigation by naval and
military ofscers OF the United States
has conclusvely established the fac;
that the Sussex was torpedoed with
out warning or summons to surrender
and that the torpedo by which she was
struck was OF German manufacture. 4
In the view Of the government of the 1
United States these facts from the first
made the conclusion that the torpedo /
was fred ny a German submarine un- /
avoidable. II now considers that con
ciusion suhstantiated by the state
Ynents of your ENcellency's mote,
Full statement OF the facts upon whicn /
the government OF the United States (.
hs Sod its conclusion ia lnclosod. I
government of the lnlted
=; after having given careful con-
al. ton to the note Of the itnoerial
gov, nment of the 10th of April. re- /
xrete 10 state that the impression .
made upon II by the statements and
proposals contained in that note Ia
that the imperial government has
failed to appreciate the gravity Of the
situ~tion. which has resulted not alone
from the attack on the Sussex but .
from the whole method and character
of submarine warfare as disclosed by 4
the unrestrained practice OF the COM
rnanders OF German undersea craft |
during the past twelve months, and /
m ore In the indiscriminate destruction |!
OF merchant vessels of all sorts, ma
fioualitieA and destinations. If the 1
sinking of the Sussex had been an tso- 1
lated case. the government OF the /
United States might find IL possible to 1
hope that the officer who was respon-
sible for that act had wiifully violated 4
his orders or had been criminally neg
1igent in taking none OF the precau-
tions they prescribed. ana that the
ends W justice might be satisfied by
impcning upon him an adequate pun
islrment. coupled with a formal dis
avowal Of the act and payment of q
government. But. though tho attack
upon the Sussex was manifestiy inde-
fsnnbls and caused a less OF life 80
tras4cal e. - mako II stand forth an
one OF the aost terrible examples OF i
the inhunan!ty of submarine warfare
a. the commanders Of German ves-
se,s are conducting =, T. IGhappily
does not stand alone.
Many Such Attacks.
On the contrary, the government of
tine United StRtea 10 forced by recent i
events 20 ooncix6s that 4 Ia only one
instance. sven though ons of the most
oxsrenns and most distressing instances
OF the deliberate method and spirit Of
lTAnain - an TxAiffh phral