The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-05-11

Is EIO41I1SSu 10y oOA Lille
washington. May lin a note re-
ceived and made public by the State
Department yesterday, the German
government assumes full responsible
ity for the destruction of the chan
mel liner Sussex, expresses regret,
promises to pay indemnity to the
Americans injured, and declares that
the commander of the German sub
marine which attacked the Sussex
.shas been appropriately punished
It was the torpedoing of the Sussex
that brought the submarine contro-
yersy to- a head and caused this gov
eminent to demand that Germany de-
clare and effect an immediate aban-
donTnent Of present methods OF sub
marine warfare under penalty OF a
severance of diplomatic relations for
failure to do SO.
Germany had disputed the conten-
ton of this governIn ent that submar-
inc had attacked the Sussex In the
note received yesterday Germany ac-
knowledges that the evidence present
ed by tn Unitd States in its note Of
protest in the Sussex case was SO
overwhelming that the Imperial a,u-
thor1ties cannot longer with hold
their conviction that the ship was
torpedoed by the German su'bnar-
Inc"
Germany expresses the hope that
the American government will con-
slider the case of the Sussex as settled
by these statements. Whether Pres
ident Wilson will make that hope a
reality has not been determined 1t
was limited yesterday that only the
severest punishment for the offending
su bmarine commander would afford
complete Satisfaction, and the i'm
sri1r III
man government might be asked to
say what his punishment had been.
Supplement- to Previous Note.
The Sussex note is intended as a
supplement to the note of May 4, in
which Germany informed this govern
ment that new instruction had been
issued to submarine commanders in
accordance with the demand of Presi-
dent Wilson that Germany Immediate
" declare and effect an abandonment
of objectionable methods of submar-
Inc warfare.
The German note. which bears the
signature of Herr Won Jagow, minister
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 investi-
cation 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 the
German government was at first
forced to the belief that the Sussex
was not torpedoed by a German sub
nnaFine.
But after examining the American
evidence the German government, ac-
cording to the new note, finds that the
time, place, and effect of the exp1o-
sion by which the Sussex was dam
aged agree in substantial details with
the statements of German COM
mander that a transport which he
sank in the Channel was the Sussex,
and there can be no longer any ques-
ton of the possibility of two indie
pendent occurrences. Accordingly in
stead of sinking a British transport,
the German government now admits
that it's commander torpedoed the
he was facing an enemy warships''
but that 'fhe formed his judgment too
hurried1y in establishing her character
and did not, therefore, act fully in ac-
cordance with the strict instructions
which called upon him to exercise
particular care.
Raises .sI1l1ers' Question.
The German note will probably re-
suit in an answer being sent by the
United States government. Tt is the
position OF the administration that
submarine commanders should not
make mistakes when undertaking to
destroy merchant ships, but should be
certain of their facts / fore firing tor
pedoes, and, in any event, must not
destroy merchant ships until those on
board have been saved. The note says
that the German government admits
frankly that 'tthe assurances given to
the American government in Accord
ance with which passenger vessels
were not to be attaclecd without warn
ing. has not been adhered to in the
present CASE
This phrase is susceptible of the in
depreciation that the German Govern
naent may be conveying the idea. that
it's previous assurances to the United
States covered only passenger vessels
and not freighters. The United States
| did not SO interpret the previous Ger
man assurances, but regarded them as
having been broad enough to cover
freighters as well as liners. Since this
| all relates to the earlier pledges given
| to the United States and new instruc-
| lions have been given to German SUBJ
| marine commanders which, according
to the note just sent to Berlin b the