The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-05-13

Washington, May 10.-Germany, in
note received by the State depart
ment today by cable from Ambassa-
dor Gerard, admits that a German
submarine torpedoed the channel
steamer Sussex in violation of assur-
ances given the United States, ex-
presses regret for the incident, an
nounces that the submarine comman-
der has been 80 .propriate.y punish
ed" and declares readiness to pay an
adequate indemnity to Americans in
jured on tho vessel.
1t was indicated at the State de-
partment that the German statement
that the offending commander had
been punished would be accepted and
the Sussex case considered closed ex-
cept for arranging for the payment
of indemnity to the several citizens of
the United States who were hurt.
There probably will be no attempt to
negotiate for these indemnities or for
final settlement Of the Lusitania and
other cases pending, however, until
sufficient time has elapsed to indi-
cate how the last American note was
received In Berlin and whether the
new submarine policy is being lived
up to.
Officials of the state department
noted particularly the passage of the
note which said lin view of these cir
cumstances the German government
frankly admits that the assurance
given the American government in
accordance with which passenger ves-
sells were not to be attacked without
warning has not been adhered to in
the present case"
This was regarded as indicating a
purpose on Germany's part to decline
to pay indemnities for Americans
killed or injured in attacks on ships
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 warn
ing or without provision for the safety
OF persons aboard. Any response to
the note received today probably will
make a distinct reservation of Ameri-
can rights on this point.
The German note. signed by For
eign Minister Won Jagow and ad-
dressed to Ambassador Gerard is
dated May 8 and the ambassadors
cablegram transmitting it May 9. The
text follows:
"Supplementing his note of the 4th
instant. concerning the conduct OF the
German submarine warfare, the un-
dersigned has the honor to inform his
excellency the American ambassador.
Mr. George w. Gerard, that the furth-
er investigation made by the 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 conformity with the result of this
investigation the assumption express
ed In the note of the undersigned of
the 10th ultimo that the damage of
the Sussex was to be traced hack +o
a cause other than the attack of q
German submarine can not be main
tained.
such an assumption had to be ar
rived at with certainty from the ma-
terlai In the possession of the Ger
man government for itself, and with
out further knowledge of the circum
stances connected with the torpedoing
or the Sussex, the more so as apart
from the points enumerated in the
note OF the 10th ultimo, the following
1acts had come to the attention Of
the admiralty staff of the navv
through reliable information: March
49, 1915, approximately at the asme
time as the Sussex, an auxiliary war.
ship left the port of Folkestone with
d large transport of British infantry
on board; on the same day torpedo
steamer was torpedoed in the chan
aei' "A rev minutes preceding the ex-
plosion on the Sussex, she had passed
through mass of ship wreckage.
which created the irnnross;o,, H..
snip had sunk at that spot shortly
oeIore. All these facts justified the
conclusion that the only case of tor
pedoins which could be considered
under the circumstances, had struck
the British war vessel, whereas tho
sussex mad met with an accident in
some other way.
However, on the basis OF the