New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-08
SAYS BERLIN LIED WILSON TO AWAIT
IN ARABIC NOTE NEW SEA OUTRAGE
Britain Makes Charge ir
Reply to BaralOng
Accusation.

London, March The British reply
10 the German note sent through the
American Embassy In Berlin In Janu-
ary rejecting the British governments
offer for an investigation OF the Bara-
long case By court composed OF
American naval officers if the Germans
would submit the sinking Of the Arabic
to the same tribunal, and announcing
Germany's intention to adopt measures
Of reprisal. was issued tonight. 1t is
for transmission to Ambassador Gerard
in Berlin through Walter Hines Page,
the American Ambassador in London.
The note says the German version OF
the sinking Of the Arabic not only IS
inherently improbable, but directly
contrary TO all the evidence the Briusn
government possesses from a large
number Of Independent and trustwor-
thy witnesses.
what is the counter evidence on
which the German government rehes
saws the note HAS the captain OF tne
submarine been tried for murder mas
he even been accused OF any deed whicn
in German eyes is not meritorious H.
as his majesty's government believe
he sank the Arabic without warning, 90
the German government so far agree
with the res. of the world as 10 treat
that action as crime? If they do,
why should they hesitate 70 condemn
the sinking of the Lusitania! If they
do not. why investigate the case OF the
Arabic"
OF the German version OF the attack
on the submarine stranded on the Dan,
ish coast, which it was also proposed
TO submit TO the American court, the
note says:
I'm any case, it is wholly untrue.
There was no engagement. The British
submarine had been four hours on
shore before the German destroyers
attacked her. Her crew in endeavorlng
to save themselves were shot at IN the
water by machine guns and shrapnel.
This incident took place in the pres
ence of Danish destroyers. 1t can be
proved by superabundant testimony,
both British and neutral
The Baralong, a British patrol boat,
sank a German submarine last fall,
and allegations were made that men
from the Baralong afterward killed
members OF the German submarine
crew while they were in the water or
on board the American steamer Nico-
sian. which had picked them up.
Extreme of German Humanity.
"To sink a merchant vessel" says
the note, without examining whether
she is a lawful prize; TO compel pas
sengers and crew 10 leave their snip
and endure all the hardsnips and dan
gers of a voyage in open boats over
stormy seas, seems 70 his maJesty's
government 10 always be illegal, often
cruel and sometimes murderous. This
procedure. nevertheless, represents
the high water mark Of German hu-
manity in their conduct Of submarine
warfare. ard it was not therefore pro-
posed 10 refer 20 il in the tribunal de-
signed 70 deal with the three specific
outrages Of peculiar atrocities
In the Ruel case, the note says, the
atrocity consisted IN not merely COM
pelling the crew to take 70 the boats,
but fring upon them afterward with
rifles and shrapnel, killing one man and
severely wounding the captain ana
seven Other men. OH lhiS SNOseNS' ''N
note adds, the German government does
not even pretend to have made any
thing in the nature Of an inyestiga-
tion.
The German conclusions regarding
the Barslong case. the note continues,
not only are quite inconsistent with
those the British government had ar
rived az. but were based on statements
inconsistent with each other. The only
witness whose antecedents the British
naval authorities have been able 10
examine, the note says, vas not even
a, sea when the event. "of which he
was claimed TO have been an eye-wit-
ness occurred"
Inquiry into the four contemporary
cases. SAYS the note, would enable the
world 10 Judge between German and
British meth DDS OF warfare.