The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1916-04-13

The following is the text of the
German note on the Sussex dated
April 10, as made public from London:
The undersigned has the honor to
inform your eXcellency, Ambassador
Gerard, in response to communications
of the 29th and 30th ultimo and the
3rd instant, regarding the steamers
Sussex, Manchester Engineer, English
man, Berwindale and Eagle Point that
the mentioned cases, in accordance
with our notes of the 30th and 31st
ulttmo and the 4th and 5th instant
have been subjected to careful in
Vestigation by the admiralty staff of
the navy which has led to the follow
ing results:
"First-The English steamer Ber-
windale: A steamer which was pos
sibly the Berwindale encountered on
the evening of March 16. on the Irish
coast by German submarine. The
steamer, as soon as she noticed the
submarine. which was running unsub-
merged, turned and steamed away.
She was ordered to halt by warning
shot. She paid no attention but ex-
tinguished all lights and attempted to
escape.
"Second-The British steamer Eng
lishman. This steamer on March "a
was called upon to halt by q German
submarine through two warning shots
.(Hebrides). The vessel proceeded,
however, without needing the warning
and was therefore forced by the sub
marine by artillery fire to halt after
an extended chase, whereupon she
lowered boats without further orders.
After the German commandant had
convinced himself that the crew had
taken to the boats and rowed from
the ship, he sank the steamer.
"Third-The British steamer Man
chester Engineer. 1t is impossible to
establish through the investigation up
to the present whether the attack on
this steamer, which according to the
given description occurred on March
%, in the latitude of Waterford, is
attributable to a German submarine.
The statement regarding the time and
place Of the incident gives no sufficient
basis for investigation. 1t would
therefore be desirable to have more
exact statements of the place, time and
attendant circumstances of the at
tack reported by the American gov
ernment in order that the investi-
CATION might thereupon be brought to
a conclusion.
"Fourth-The British steamer Eagle
Point. This steamer in the forenoon
of March 2S was called upon to halt
by q German submarine through sig
nal and shot about 10O-not 130-sea
miles the SOUTHWEST COdSL Oh Ire
land, but proceeded. She was there
upon fired upon until halted, and
without further orders, lowered two
boats, in which the crew took their
places. After the commandant con-
WINGED himself that the boats, which
had hoisted sails, had gotten clear of
the steamer, he sank the steamer.
"At the time Of the sinking a north
northwest wind OF the strength Of
Two, not a storm wind, and a light
swell, not "a heavy sea- as stated in
the given description, prevailed. The
boats therefore had every prospect of
being picked UP very quickly because
the place of sinking lay on much
used steamer path.
IF the crew of the steamer used
only two small boats for saving them
selves, the responsibility falls upon
themselves, since there were still up
on the steamer. as the submarine could
establish, at least four big collapsible
boats.
"Eifth-The French steamer Sussex.