| Show WILSONS WILSON'S 5 NOTE TO 10 GERMANY IS FIRM WHILE FRIENDLY IN ITS IrS TERMS INSISTS UPON PROTECTION FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS Formally Asks Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- The United States many for Assurances That Measures Measures Measures Meas Meas- ures WIl Be Adopted to Safeguard Safeguard Safe Safe- g guard ard Lives and Ships The United States in Washington The made pub pub- its latest note to Germany German He lie on June 10 formally asks the imperial imperial im im- im- im penal government nt for tor assurance that measures hereafter will be adopted to safeguard American lives and American American Amerlean Amer Amer- ican lean ships on the high seas The alternative alternative al al- a- a in case of refusal is Is Is' not stated It was this note to which Villi William am Jennings Bryan refused to attach his signature resigning instead his portfolio portfolio portfolio port port- and thereby there there- thereby folio of secretary of state by precipitating a dramatic cabinet crisis Robert Lansing secretary of state ad interim signed the communication cation which went forth with the approval approval approval ap ap- ap- ap of the president and his entire cabinet The text of the American rejoinder to the German governments government's reply to the note following the sinking of the Lusitania follows Th The secretary of state ad interim to the American ambassador to Berlin Derlin Department of State Washington June 9 1915 American ambassador Berlin You youre are re in instructed tr to deliver textually the tug following nolo otO t t the minister inister of fo for for- eIgI affairs In ilIn In compliance ii with y excel excellency's I lency's request I did not fail to transmit transmit trans trans- mit to my government immediately upon their receipt your note of May 28 in in reply p my note of May 15 and your supplementary note of June 1 setting forth the conclusions so far faras fara's faras faras as a's as reached by the tile Imper Imperial al German government concerning U the e attacks attacks on the American steamers Gushing Cushing and I am now instructed by my government to communicate the following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing in reply The government of the United States notes with gratification the full recognition by the imperial German government in discussing the he cases of of of- the tile the Cushing Gushing and the principle of the freedom of all parts of the open open sea to neutral ships and the frank willingness of the imperial government to acknowledge and meet its liability where the fact of attack upon neutral ships which have been guilty of any hostile a act t by German aircraft o or vessels of war war is satisfactorily satisfactorily satisfactorily established and the govern government ent of the United States Stated will in due course lay bay before tile the imperial German government government government gov gov- as it requests full information tion concerning the attack on the steamer Cushing Gushing With regard to the sinking of the tile steamer by which an American American American Amer Amer- ican citizen lost his life the government government government govern govern- ment of the United States is surprised to find the imperial German government government government govern govern- ment cont contending that an effort on n the part of a m merchantman to esc escape pe capture capture capture cap cap- cap cap- ture and secure assistance alters the tile obligation of the offic officer r seeking to tomake tomake tomake make the capture in respect of the safety of the lives of those on board the merchantman although the vessel has ceased her attempt to escape when torpedoed These are not new circumstances They have been in inthe inthe inthe the minds of statesmen and of international international international inter inter- national jurists throughout the development development development devel devel- of naval warfare and the government government gov gov- of the United States does not understand that they have ever ver been held to 0 alter the principles of humanity upon which h it has insisted Nothing but actual forcible resistance or continued efforts to escape by flight when ordered to stop for the purpose of visit on the part of the merchantman has ever been held to forfeit the lives of her passengers or crew The government of the United States li however wever does not understand that the tile imperial German government govern I I merit men is seeking se in this case to relieve itself of liability ut JJ-ut but only intends to set forth the circumstances which led the commander of the submarine to allow himself to be hurried into the course which he took toole Your excellency's note in discussing discussing discussing discus discus- sing the loss of American lives resulting resulting result result- ing from the sinking of the steamship Lusitania adverts advert at some length to I certain information which the imperial imperial imperial impe impe- rial G German government has received with regard to the character and outfit outfit out out- fit of th that t vessel ve and your excellency expresses the tile fear that this information tion may not have been brought I to the attention of oC the government of the United States It is stated in the note that the Lusitania was equipped with masked guns supplied with trained gunners and special ammunition ammunition am am- transporting troops from Canada carrying a cargo not permit t ted d under the time la laws s of the United States State to a vessel vissel also 9 carrying rr ing passengers passengers pas pas- and serving in virtual effect as an auxiliary to the naval forces of of Gre Great t Britain Fortunately these are matters concerning which the time govern govern- meat ment ent of the tile United States is in a position po po- po to give the time imperial German govern government ent official information Of the facts alleged in your your excellency's note if true the time government of the the United States would have been bound to take official cognizance cognisance ance in performing perform perform- ing its recognized duty as a neutral power and in enforcing its national laws aws It was its duty to see to it that tim the Lusitania was not hot armed for offensive offen offen- sive s. s action tion that she was not serving as a transport that she did not carry a cargo prohibited by time the statutes or of the United States and that if in fact s she e was a naval vessel of Great Brit Brit- am am alD she should not receive clearance as a merchantman and it performed that duty and enforced its statutes with scrupulous vigilance through its its regularly eg 1 constituted officials It is able therefore to assure the tho rial imperial impe- impe German Germau government that it has 1138 been misinformed If the imperial pr German government ove ment should deem It It- t self BeU to be In possession of ot sl evidence that the officials ot of Con cnn t tJ hC c ft t of ot the United States d perform these duties with tho thol nOl ness the government of the States sincerely hopes that nl d submit that evidence for con be e tion lion t ed Arguments Irrelevant I Whatever may be the con jOt the imperial German government non tt Sf garding the carriage of ot contraband contraband ld f j Je war on board the Lusitania or ret ren tl l iO P lug trig the time explosion of that material reg v the torpedo it need only be said Bald v h 71 in the e view of this tills government t contentions are I irrelevant relevant I to the V ap q tion of the legality of the tle r used by the he German naval 1 In sinking that vessel e But the sink sinking g of i passenger t cf 8 involves principles s of humanity V k rl throw into the ba background any s 3 At circumstances of that 1 thought to affect t the te cases j. j which lift it as th Imperial 1 gOV i ment will no doubt ve be e quick to t ree ec and acknowledge out O j nize of the c ci of ordinary subjects df ct f diplomatic if JM or of in international ten cOn t versy 0 j V 1 J Whatever be he the o other her facts fact il the tile Lusitania the tho prine e t fact Is that a great steamer p and chiefly a conveyance for pas pa v gers gels and carrying more than a asand th wo sand souls who had no part or lot h f the tho conduct of the war was Jj and sunk out so much as a chai cha lenge or a warning and that IDe women and children were sent their death in circumstances un ara in modern warfare The j Iati I that than one hundred more Amer rj lean ican citizens were among those Wh v dl perished make it the duty of the gO 0 e n o. o of the he United United States to I I of or these ana anu once more moret t it solemn i emphasis to call the att atten n m ic icI of the imperial German gover government if I to the tile grave responsibility which if jr gov government of the United States co eJ or ci that it has incurred in t iJ tragic occurrence and to the fe tc principle upon which that r. r r rests j ii Th Thi g government v nt of ot the Unite States is contending for much greater than mere rights o ot property or privileges of commerce commer It is contending for nothing less high hi and sacred than the tile rights of human 1 ity which every government hOnor bonon itself in respecting and which no government government gov in- is justified in 7 resigning ca 01 r behalf of those under its care and amt ail Only her actual resistance t to tJ capture or refusal reCusal to stop atop when 04 ol if dered to do so for Cor the purpose ol ot Yi it D a could have afforded the commander commande of the submarine any justification for so much as putting the lives or ci I i those on board the ship in j This principle the government o of tk tb lh United States understands the instructions issued on August 3 it by the imperial German admiralty to its commanders at sea to have recq recer I It and embodied as do the sam na codes of all other nations and U upa 3 t tit it every traveler and seaman has f fright i right to d depend pend It is upon this t ciple of humanity humanity- as well a as upon th the u law founded upon this principle tb tilt t- t p the Unit United d. d States must stand 1 Offer of Services The government of the id States is happy to observe that yo your a excellency's note closes with the fat lt ii mation that the imperial German go gom gO is willing now v as before t to h accept the tile good offices of the Unite States in an attempt to come to a aa ai understanding with the government of rl Great Britain by which the character charade and conditions of the war upon ti tie the sea may be changed The government of the United States would consider I it a privilege thus to serve its friend friend- ST and the world It stands ready at al an aa antime ant time to convey to either government any intimation or suggestion the othe may be willing to have it convey nd sd n cordially invites the imperial Gennai Gernia K nt t government to make use of its Sell sen e ices in this tills way at its convenience Q The whole world is concerned In aa as thing that may bring about even a par par- a accommodation of interests or la is oo ooK any way mitigate the terrors of tt the K ar arle present distressing conflict In the meantime whatever ar af may happily be made between between be be- tween the parties to the war ar and ani in the opinion of oi t th I whatever may le w hare government imperial German len leI I been the provocation or the tile n justification for the past ac aCt acis of its commanders at sea the go goTe gOfen- gOfen ment of the United States looks to see see the justice and a of the government of Germany German In ii ij in all cases where Americas Americ 69 their rights a have been wronged or neutrals invaded Tile The The government of tile the Unites States therefore very earn an very solemnly renews the ea of its note transmitted to iff d J th government on 00 u 5 German imperial of May and relies in these these r rel- rel J fe- fe 5 O ii resent upon 1 the P t the universally E humanity i of International I understandings the tw G u uman and the tile ancient friendship of i iman man nation J 1 Assertion of Ri Rights JU J- J V U III t LI of the The TIme government ti mid th time pr admit mit that States cannot a 1 1 from froID mation of a war zone t warned W have hae been beeD neutral ships rate S sin keep l a away war may be made to open ope 0 of fhi t j in any degree an abbreviation teri I rights either of American bound on i A of American citizens or S f erch- erch n mr on ful errands as passengers i n t A ti t national ships s of ot belligerent kl does not understand the tIle theman imperial thO a question man government to I t to also asO s understands it rights It established beyond Q que as not the principle that the time live liveS a o of i f combatants cannot lawfully or f the be in jeopardy by fully full put of an aD e ture or destruction tl merchantman and to t o pr pre preto ik sufficient obligation to take suSPect to ascertain whether a Cent tJ is In fact of c ti or is in fact carrying J band of ot war under a neutral j te The Tile government o ol of the 1 o States therefore deems it i to expect that the tile blip adopt the It government will Ies i print w necessary to put these safe practice in respect of the thod S a aing and aud lives aD ing of or American l assurance ships and asks for this will be done G ROBERTW ROBERT ROBERTW W. W LA LANS inter inte Secretary of State ad |
