Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-04-21
TEXT OF FINAL NOTE 70 lMPE.
!. RIAL GOVERNMENT on SUE
! MARINE WARFARE MADE.
!; - PUBLIC ~ LANSING, g.,
ATTENTION IS CALLED TO
SUSSEX IN PARTICULAR
Facts In Gaze Of Wrecked Channel
Steamer Established by Informa-
tjon In Possession Of American
Government - Proves Vessel
Torpedosd Without WARNING.

Iorpedoed Without Warning.
Washington, April 2o.-The text Of
the United States note to Germany,
signed by Secretary Lansing and ad.
dressed to Ambassador Gerard, as civ.
On out by the State Department, fol.
lows:
You are instructed to deliver to the
secretary Of foreign affairs a commu.
nication reading az follows:
I did not fail to transmit Immediate.
" by telegraph to my government
Your Excellency's note of the 10th inst
In regard to certain attacks by Ger.
man submarines and particularly in
regard to the disastrous explosion
which on March ~ last wrecked tho
French steamship Sussex In the Eng.
fish channel. I have now the honor to
deliver under instructions from my
government, the following reply to
Your Excellency.
T Information now in the possession
OF the government Of 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 as confirmed
by the circumstances set forth in Your
D1oellency's note Of the 10th inst.
= Sussex Was Never Armed.
On the 24th Of March, 1915, at about
$50 O'Clock In tho afternoon tho un-
armed steamer Sussex with 325 or
more passengers on board, among
whom were number of American cit
liens, was torpedoed while crossing
from Folkestone to D1eppe. The sus-
rex had mover been AIMED; was ves-
eel known to 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 80 81
her passengers, noncombatants of all:
kges and sexes, including citizens of
tho United States, were killed or in
jured.
Torpedoed Without Warning.
A careful, detailed and scrupulously
impartial investigation by naval and
military officers of the United States
has conclusively established the fact
that the Sussex was torpedoed without
warning or summons to surrender and
that the torpedo by which she was
struck was Of German manufacture,
In view OF the government of tho
United States these facts from tho
fret made the conclusion that the tor.
pedo was fired by German subma7
rlne unavoidable. It now considers;
that conclusion substantiated by the:
statements of Your Excellency's note.
A full statement Of the facts upon:
which the government of the United
States has based it's conclusion is in
closed.
Ships Destroyed Unfortunately.
The government of the United
States, after having given careful con-
sideration to the note of the Imperial
Government of the 10th Of April re-
grets to state that the impression
made upon it by the statements and
proposals contained in that note is that
the Imperial Government has failed to
appreciate the gravity of the situation
which has resulted, not alone from the
attack on the Sussex, but from the
whole method and character of sub
marine warfare Is disclosed by the
undersea craft during the past IL
months, and more in the indiscrimi-
nate destruction of merchant vessels
Of all sorts, nationalities and destina,
tons.
Terrible Example Of lnhumanity.
II the sinking of the Sussex had
been an isolated case the government
Of the United States might find it pos
sible to hope that the officer who was
responsible for that act had wilfully
violated his orders or had been crimi.
ta1ly negligent in taking none of the
precautions they prescribed and that
the ends Of justice might be satisfied
by imposing upon him an adequate
punishment, coupled with formal
disavowal Of the act and payment OF
2 suitable indemnity by the Imperial
Government.
But, though the attack upon the Sus
sex was manifestly indefensible and
( caused loss Of life so tragical as to
.~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Bryan to Try to Prevent War.
| st. Louis, Mo-, April 20. = William
| $vnnr