The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-01-19
GREAT BRITAIN TELLS
OF GERMAN ACTS
And Asks Wherein Germany Can Show
Surprise at Action Taken in the
Baialong Case.

london. Jan. l0-The British oflicia
view on the German note regarding the
Baralong case was given out last night
as follows:
"The Germans claim that their army
and navy have observed during the pres
ent war the principles of international
law and humanity and that the German
authorities take care that all violations
will be carefully investigated and pun
ished.
"Some surprise is expressed that the
nation whose armed forces have been re-
sponsible for the sack of Louyain, the
murder of hundreds of rrnofending men,
women and children ON the Lusitania
aud other ships, the execution of Edith
Cavell, the introduction OF poisonous
gases, the poisoning of wells attempted
torpedoing OF hospital ships and count
less atrocities, should describe their
methods of warfare as humane.
ut is further pointed out that it would
be interesting to know how many Ger
man subjects, if any, have been punished
for these atrocities. The Germans claim
that the Arabic was torpedoed because
the commander of the submarine had the
conviction that the Arabic was about to
ram the submarine The true facts are
that the Arabic was deliberately sunk by
German submarine without warning
and that she neither attempted to attack
the submarine nor escape from it.
"With regard to the destruction of the
British submarine El3 in Danish waters
by German torpedo boat destroyer, it
is claimed that it came to fight be-
tween the war vessels and that the sub
marine defended itself with gunfire. The
true facts are as follows:
"The Germans found the submarine
stranded in neutral waters and incapable
of either offense or defense. The Ger
man destroyer fired torpedo at the
E-l3. The torpedo exploded close to her.
At the same moment the German de-
stroyer fired with all her guns, and the
of the E-l3, whose subma
rine was afire fore and aft and who was
unable to defend himself owing to being |
aground, gave orders to the crew to |
abandon her. While the men were in
the water they We're fred on by machine |
guns and with shrapnel.
son Feb. A, the German government I
declared their intention of instituting a /
general submarine blockade of Great /
Britain and Ireland with the avowed
purpose of cutting off all supplies from
these islands and this blockade was put
nto effect ON Feb. is.
''It was only on March II that the
British government put into force, as
means OF reprisals, measures against
German trade, which the German gov
,rnment now try to maintain were the
ause of their submarine policy.
"The Germans maintain that in the
ase of the Arabic, the El3 and the Ruel
hey were aiming at the destruction only
f hostile ships, and in nowise the de-
truction of helpless persons. The death
oil of the Arabic, the shelling of Brit
N sailors as they were swimming ashore
fter abandoning the E-l3, and the fir
1g on the crew of the Ruel who were
tempting to save themselves in the
oats, sufficiently answer this claim.
"With regard to the German refusal to =
ubmit the Baralong case and the three !
ases put forward by the British gov !
rnment for investigation by an imperial =
eutral tribunal this action seems hard
D explain if the Germans are really so :
onvinced as they say of the guilt of the
ritish commander and the innocence of :
he perpetrators of the three outrages
ted by the British government.
$50 far as Great Britain is concerned
is entirely untrue to state that the
ritish government have left untitled a
lst demand for investigation They 7
ave proposed it, and it is the Germans
no have rejected it, doubtless because
ley know full well that the cases in
hich they are defendants would be de- r
ded against them by any impartial tri
NAL"