Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-05-19
sunk SHIP
GERMAN NOTE TO U. S. DECLARES
SUBMARINE ATTACKED
LINER SUSSEX.
FULL INDEMNITY is OFFERED
Won Jasow Declares Kaiser's Assur-
ances for Safety of Passenger Ves-
sells Were Violated-Commande of
U-Boat Punished.

washington, May 1Z.-GeTmany no
titled the United States on Wednesday
she would accept full responsibility for
the torpedoing of the Sussex and that
the submarine commander already had
been punished for failing to exercise
proper judgment. The commander.
says the German note thought he was
attacking an auxiliary warship.
The text of the note in part follows:
"Supplanting his note of the 4th
instant, concerning the conduct of the
German submarine warfare. the un-
dersigned has the honor to inform his
eXcellency, the American ambassador.
Mr.. James w. Gerard, that the fur
ther investigation made by the Ger
man naval authorities concerned, in
regard to the French steamship Sus-
sex, ON the basis of the American
material, has been concluded in the
meantime.
In conforming with the result OF
this investigation, the assumption ex'
pressed in the note of the undersigned
Of the 10th ultimo, that the dam
age of the Sussex was to be traced
back to a cause other than the at
tack of a German submarine cannot
be maintained.
March "a, 1916, approximately at
the time the Sussex, an, auxiliary war
ship, left the port of Folkestone with
a large transport of British infantry
on board; on the same day trans
in
channel; a few minutes preceding the
explosion on the Sussex she had
passed through a mass of ship wreck
age, which created the impression
that a ship had been sunk at that spot
shortly before.
"All these facts justified the con-
clusion that the only torpedo which
could be considered under the cir
cumstances had struck the British
war vessel, whereas the Sussex had met
with an accident in some other way.
However, on the basis of the Amer
| ican material, the German govern
ment cannot withhold it's conviction
that the ship torpedoed by the Ger
man submarine is in fact identlca
with the Sussex, for in accordance
with this material the time, the place
and the effect of the explosion by
which the Sussex was damaged agree
in the essential details with the state
| ments of the German commander, 81
that there can no longer be any ques
ton of the possibility of two inde
| pendent occurrences.
In view of the general impression
of all the facts at hand, the German
government considers it beyond doub
that the commander of the submarine
acted in the bona f1de belief that h'
was facing an enemy warship. o.
the other hand, it cannot be deniet
that misled by the appearance of thu
vessel, under the pressure of the cir
cumstances he formed his judgmen
too hurriedly in establishing her char
acter and did not therefore act full,
in accordance with the strict instruC
tion which called upon him to exel
else particular care.
In view of these circumstances tn
German government frankly admit
that the assurance given TO the Amel
lean government, in accordance wit
which passenger vessels were not
be attacked without warning has nc
been adhered to in the present cas-
AS was intimated by the undersigne
in the note of the fourth instant. tn
German government does not hesitat
to draw from this resultant cons
quences.
ut therefore expresses to the Anne
lean government its sincere regret r
garding the deplorable incident an
declares it's readiness to pay an ad
quate indemnity to the injured Anne
ican citizens.
1T also disapproved of the condut
of the commander, who has been a
propriately punished.
"VON JAGOW."