New Britain herald., 1916-05-11
GERMANY EXPLAINS
 ATTACK ON SUSSEX
Says Submarine Commander
 Thought Her a War Vessel


 Washington, May 11-In note re- ceived and made public by. the state department late yesterday the Ger man government assumes full respon- sibility for the destruction of the channel liner Sussex expressed regret promises to pay indemnity to the Americans injured, and declares that the commander of the German sub marine which attacked the Sussex "has been appropriately punished"
 It was the torpedoing of the Sussex that brought the submarine contro- versy to head and caused this gov ernment to demand that Germany de- clare and effect an immediate aban- dOnment of present methods of sub- marine warfare under penalty of 9 severance of diplomatic relations for failure to do so.
 Germany had disputed the conten- tion of this government that a sub marine had attacked the Sussex. In the note received today Germany ac- knoWledges that the evidence present. ed by the United States in it's note of protest in the Sussex case was overwhelming that the Imperial au- thorities "cannot longer withhold' "their' conviction that the ship was torpedoed by the German submarine.'
 Germany expresses the hope that the American government will con- sider the case of the Sussex as settled by these statements. Whether Presi- dent Wilson will make that hope a reality has not been determined. It is hinted that only the severest pun ishment for the offending submarine commander would afford complete satisfaction, and the impression was given that the German government might be asked to say what his pun ishment had been.
 Supplement to Previous Note.
 The Sussex note is intended as a supplem ent to the note of May A. in which Germany informed this gov ernment that new instructions had been issued to submarine command CTS in accordance with the demand of President Wilson that Germany inn mediately declare and effect an aban- donment of objectiona ble methods oI submarine warfare.
 The German note, which bears the signature of Herr Won Jagow, min ister for foreign affairs, states that the supplementary investigation made by the German government on the basis of the evidence submitted by the United States has been completed, and that in conformity with this in vestigation Germany is not now able to maintain her original assumption that the damage to the Sussex was not caused by a German submarine. The note then goes on to explain why t1n forced to the belief that the Sussex was not torpedoed by a German sub marine.
 The Text of the Note.
 The text of the note is as follows:
 American Embassy,
 Berlin, May 8, 1916.
 Following is translation of the text of note upon which my telegram, No. 3S5S, was based
 Supplementing his note of the 4th instant concerning the conduct of the German submarine warfare, tEc undersigned has the honor to inform his Excellency, the American Am bassador, MT. James w. Gerard, that the further investigation made by the German naval authorities concerned in regard to the French steamship Sussex, on the basis of the Ameri- can material, has been concluded in 1 the meantime. Tn conformity with l the result of this investigation the | assumption expressed In the note of | the undersigned of the 10th ultimo 1 that the damage of the Sussex was | to be traced back to a cause other 1 than the attack of a German subua- rine, cannot be maintained.
 Such an assum ption had to be ar | rived at with certainty from the ma 1 teriaI In the possession of the German 1 government, for itself, and without | further knowledge of the circum- l stances connected with the torped oin z of the Sussex. the more so as apart 1 from the points enumerated in the I note of the 10th ultimo the follow | ing facts had come to the attention | of the admiralty staff of the navy ] through reliable information: March | 24, 1916, approximately at the same time as the Sussex. an auxiliary war 1 ship left the port of Folkstone with l a large transport of British infantry on board. On the same day a trans port steamer was torpedoed in the channel. A few minutes preceding the explosion on the Sussex she had passed through mass of ship wreck | age, which created the impression that ship had sunk at that spot shortly before. All these facts justi- fled the conclusion that the only case of torpedoing which could be con- sidered under the circumstances had struck the British war vessel, where as the Sussex had met with an, ac- cident In some other way.
 American Evidence Convincing. However, on the basis of the American material. the German gov ernment cannot withhold it's con- viction that the ship torpedocd by h,a,a rim in n lt