Image provided by: Hood River County Library District; Hood River, OR
About The Maupin times. (Maupin, Or.) 1914-1930 | View Entire Issue (June 18, 1915)
WILSON NOTE TO BERLIN ASSERTS. Legality of Sinking of Steamer Lusitania flatly Denied by United States. ORIGINAL DEMANDS RENEWED Precautions Insisted Upon and Right of Americans to Travel Seas Lawfully, Declared, Notwith standing Warnings. WASHINGTON, June 10. The text of the American rejoinder to the Ger man government's reply to the note following the sinking or the Lusitania follows: "The Secretary of State ad interim to the American Ambassador to Ber lin: Department of State, Washing ton, June 9, 1915. American Ambas sador. Berlin: You are instructed to deliver textually the following note to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: "In compliance with Your Excel lency's request, I did not fail to trans mit to my Government, immediately upon their receipt, your note of May 28 in reply to my note of May 15, and your supplementary note of June 1, setting forth the conclusions, so far as reached by the imperial German government, concerning the attacks on the American steamers Cushing and Gulflight. Principle of Freedom Recognized. "I am now instructed by my Gov ernment to communicate the follow Ing in reply: "The Government of the United States notes with gratification the full recognition by the imperial Ger man government, in discussing the cases of the Cushing and the Gul flight, of the principle of the freedom of all parts of the 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 not been guilty of any hostile act' by German aircraft or vessels of war is satisfactorily established; and the Government of the United States will in due course lay before the im perial German government, as it re quests, full information concerning the attack on the steamer Cushing. "With regard to the sinking of the steamer Falaba, by which an Ameri can citizen lost his life, the Govern ment of the United States is surprised to find the imperial German govern ment contending that an effort on the part of a merchantman to escape capture and secure assistance alters the obligation of the officer seeking to make the capture in respect to the safety to the lives of those on board the merchantman, although the ves sel has ceased her attempt to escape when torpedoed. These are not new circumstances. They have been in the minds of statesmen and of interna tional jurists throughout the develop ment of naval warfare, and the Gov ernment of the United States does not understand that they have ever been held to alter the principles of human ity upon which it has insisted. Noth ing 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 merchant man has ever been held to forfeit the lives of her passengers or crew. "The Government of the United States, however,' does not understand that the imperial German government is seeking in this case to relieve itself of liability, 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. "Your Excellency's note, in discuss ing the loss of American lives result ing from the sinking of the steamship Lusitania, adverts at some length to certain information which the imperial German government has received with regard to the character and outfit of that vessel, and your Excellency ex presses the fear that this information may not have been brought to the at tention of the Government of the United States. "It is stated in the note that the Lusitania was undoubtedly equipped with masked guns, supplied with trained gunners and special ammuni tion, transporting troops from Can ada, carrying a cargo not permitted under the laws of the United States to a vessel also carrying passengers, and serving, in virtual effect, as an auxiliary to the naval forces of Great Britain. Fortunately these are mat ters concerning which the Government of the United States is in a position to give the imperial German govern ment official information. Of the facts alleged in Your Excellency's note, if true, the Government of the United States would have been bound to take official cognizance in per forming its recognized duty as a neu tral power and in enforcing its Na tional laws. "It was its duty to see to it that the Lusitania was not armed for of fensive action, that she wai not serv ing as a transport, that she did not carry a cargo prohibited Dy we statutes of the United States, and that if, in fact, she was a naval ves sel of Great Britain she should not receive clearance as a merchantman, and it performed that duty and en forced its statutes with scrupulous vigilance througl its regularly con stituted officials. It is able, there fore, to assure the imperial German government that it has been misin formed. "If the imperial German govern ment should deem itself to be in pos session of convincing evidence that the officials of the Government of the United States did not perform these duties with thoroughness, the Gov ernment of the United States sin cerely hopes that it will submit that evidence for consideration. Contentions Held Irrelevant "Whatever may be the contentions of the imperial German government regarding the carriage of contraband of war on board the Lusitania, or re garding the explosion of that material by torpedo, it need only be said that, in the view of this Government, the contentions are irrelevant to the ques tion of the legality of the methods used by the German naval authori ties in sinking that vessel. "But the sinking of passenger ships involves principles of humanity which throw into the background any special circumstances of detail that may be thought to affect the cases principles which lift it, as the imperial govern ment will no doubt be quick to recog nize and acknowledge, out of the class of ordinary subjects of diplomatic dis cussion or international controversy. Whatever be the facts regarding the Lusitania, the principal fact is that a great steamer, primarily and chiefly a conveyance for passengers and car rying more than 1000 souls who had no part or lot in the conduct of the war, was torpedoed and sunk without so much as a challenge or a warning, and that men, women and children were sent to their death in circum stances unparalleled in modern war fare. , Duty 0ri to Humanity. "The fact that more than 100 Amer ican citizens were among those who perished made it the duty of the Gov ernment of the United States to speak of these things, and once more, with solemn emphasis, to call the atten tion of the imperial German govern ment to the grave responsibility which the Government of the United States conceives that it has incurred in this tragic occurrence and to the indis putable principle upon which that re sponsibility rests. The Government of the United States is contending for something much greater than mere rights of property or privileges of commerce, it is contending for noth ing less high and sacred than the rights of humanity, which every gov ernment honors itself in respecting and which no government is justified in resigning on behalf of those under its care and authority. Only her actual resistance to capture or refusal to stop when ordered to do so for the purpose of visit could have af forded the commander of the sub marine any justification for so much as putting the lives of those on board the ship in jeopardy. This principle the Government of the United States understands the explicit instructions issued on August 3, 1914, by the im perial German Admiralty to its com manders at sea to have recognized and embodied, as do the naval codes of all otner nations, ana upon it every traveler and seaman had a right to depend. It is upon this principle of humanity, as well as upon the law founded upon this principle, that the United States must stand. "The Government of the United States is happy to observe that Your Excellency's note closes with the in timation that the imperial German government is willing, now as before, to accept the good offices of the United States in an attempt to come to an understanding with the govern ment or tireat Britain, by which the character and conditions of the war upon the sea may be changed. The Government of the United States would consider it a privilege thus to serve its friends and the world. It stands ready at any time to convey to either government any intimation or suggestion the other may be will ing to have it convey, and cordially invites the imperial German govern ment to make use of its services in this way at its convenience. The whole world is concerned in anything that may bring about even a partial accommodation of interests or in any way mitigate the terrors of the pres ent distressing conflict. "In the meantime, whatever ar rangement may happily be made be tween the parties to the war, ani whatever may in the opinion of the imperial German government have been the provocation or the circum stantial justification for the past acts of its commanders at sea, the Govern ment of the United States confidently looks to see the justice and humanity of the government of Germany vin dicated in all cases where Americans have been wronged or their rights as neutrals invaded. "The Government of the United States therefore very earnestly and very solemnly renews the represent tions of its note transmitted to the imperial German government on the 15th of May and relies in these repre sentations upon the principles of hu manity, the universally recognized understandings of international law and the ancient friendship of the Ger man nation. Rights of Americans Reasserted. "The Government of the United States cannot admit that the procla mation of a war tone from which neutral ships have been warned to Of CURRENT WEEK Brief Resume of General News From All Around the Earth. UNIVERSAL HAPPENINGS IN A NUTSHQ1 Live News Items of All Nations and Pacific Northwest Condensed for Our Busy Readers. A German submarine Friday sank two British torpedo boatB, one steamer and six trawlers. The schooner New Jersey is reported lost in the Arctic regions and four of her crew have perished. The plant of the Butte Socialist, a weekly paper of Butte, Montana, was blown up by dynamite. Italian troops are reported as having occupied Monfalcone, and being within sight of Trieste, Austria. American friends of Germany be lieve the critical stage in the Lusi tania controversy is passed. A German admiral says the Mediter ranean sea will be the next held for German submarineoperations. Official statements declare that there e yet 9000 Germans and 4000 Aus- trians of military age at large in Lon don. Germany in the Frye case declares the right to sink any ship carrying contraband, but is willing to pay dam- German residents in America believe the retirement of Bryan from the cab inet will make negotiations with their country easier. Multnomah Typographical union, of Portland, has started a movement to have all text botks for the public schools printed within the state. According to figures announced in the house of commons, 79,946 English women have registered for war work, of which 1916 have been utilized. Rowing crews from the steamer Rose City twice beat the crews of the naval reserve cruiser Boston in the Rose Festival races in Portland harbor. News reaching Geneva confirms the report that cholera has broken out in Vienna. It is believed to have been taken there by wounded soldiers from Galicia. The attendance at the Panama-Pa cific Exposition at San Francisco has passed the six million mark, an aver age of 55,000 per day since the open ing on February 20. The British are again warned by one of their best-known newspapers that disaster is imminent unless they pro vide their army and navy with more liberal supplies of ammunition. The Standard Oil company announces cut of one cent per gallon in the price of gasoline, effective throughout the United States. The new price is 8.8 cents. A year ago the price!? was lcents. At a luncheon to the visiting Chinese commercial delegates, President Emer itus Charles W. Eliot, of Harvard, de clared that China should have an ade quate army and navy, adding that "no nation can maintain a national exist ence without a national force." Ulonel Alden J. islethen, owner of the Seattle Times, is dangerously ill. Degrees are bestowed on 254 stu dents at Oregon Agricultural college. The Seventh Annual Rose Festival was formally opened at Portland Wed nesday. German submarines have sunk six more merchant ships, among them be ing a Norwegian steamer. A delegation of Chinese merchants, touring this country, will visit import ant cities in the Northwest. Canadian miners at Fernie, B. C. refuse to work with alien labor, which includes Germans and Austrians. keep away may be made to operate as in any degree an abbreviation of the rights of either of American ship masters or of American citizens bound on lawful errands as passengers on merchant ships of belligerent nation ality. It does not understand the im perial German government to ques tion those rights. It understands it also to accept as established beyond question the principle that the lives of non-combatants cannot lawfully or rightfully be put in jeopardy by the capture or destruction of an unresist ing merchantman and to recognize the obligation to take sufficient pre caution to ascertain whether a sus pected merchantman is in fact of belligerent nationality or is in fact carrying contraband of war under neutral flag. "The Government of the United States therefore deems it reasonable to expect that the imperial German government will adopt the measures necessary to put these principles into practice in respect to the safeguard ing of American lives and American ships and asks for assurances that this will be don. "ROBERT LANSING, "Secretary of State ad Interim." MING NOTE TO ALLIES IS EXPECTED Official Washington Thinks War With Teutons Remote. AVENUES FOR SETTLEMENT LEET OPEN Way Plainly Prepared for Germany to Acquiesce Without Loss of Peace In Sight. Washington, D. C. Optimism more pronounced than it has been since the diplomatic correspondence with Uermany over the sea zones or war began was manifest Saturday in offi cial quarters here over the prospects for a peaceful outcome of the pending controversy between Germany and the United StateB. The American note presented to the Berlin foreign office by Ambassador Gerard was interpreted on all sides as decidedly friendly and leaving the way open to a satisfactory solution with honor to both sides. Officials made it clear that the note purposely had been phrased so as to reiterate the earnest ness of the United States with respect to, the principles of humanity and in ternational law and at the same time to afford Germany an opportunity with dignity to make her practice square with the'principles expressed. It was said officially that a note would soon be sent to Great Britain and her allies insisting on a change in the operation of the blockade conduct ed by them so as to conform with the principles of international law forbid ding interference with trade in non- contraband articles passing to and from a belligerent country through a contiguous neutral country. This, it was generally believed, would be an important factor in convincing the German government that the United States would maintain the same vigor ous position on the fundamentals of in ternational law with respect to the al lies as has been the case in the Amer ican correspondence with .Germany. Close reading in diplomatic quarters of the American note to Germany pre sented by Ambassador Gerard, the sec ond since the Lusitania was sunk, brought out a variety of predictions and views as to the manner in which Germany would reply. There was a general feeling of con fidence, however, that Germany would accept some'of the several avenues of approach purposely included in the note by the American government so as to make possible a friendly settle ment. Wilson's Stand in German Trouble Approved by Ex-President Roosevelt New Orleans Applauding President Wilson for his stand in the disagree ment with Secretary Bryan over the issue between the United States and Germany, Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, in a signed statement received here from Breton Island, La., pledged his support to the President. According to Mr. Bryan s state ment, Colonel Roosevelt says, "he has left the cabinet because President Wilson, as regards the matters at is sue with Germany, refuses to follow the precedent set in the 30 all-inclusive arbitration commission treaties recently negotiated, and declines to suspend action for a year while a neu tral commission investigates the ad mitted murder of American men, wom en and children on the high seas, and further declines to forbid Americans to travel on neutral ships, in accordance with the conditions granted to us by Germany herself by solemn treaty. "Of course I heartily applaud the decision of the President, and in com mon with ail other Americans who are loyal to the traditions handed down by the men who served under Washington and by the others who followed Grant and Lee in the days of Lincoln, I pledge him my heartiest Bupport in all the steps he takes to uphold the honor and the interests of this great repub lic, which are bound up with the main tenance of democratic liberty and of a wise spirit of humanity among all na tions of mankind." Guns on Interned German. Naples The German steamer Bay em, which has been interned in this port since last August, was unloaded by the Italian authorities. Hidden un der goods ostensibly of no particular importance were field guns, machine guns and several aeroplanes. As none of this war material was mentioned in the ship's papers, the customs author ities seized it all. The Bayern sailed from Hamburg several days before the opening of hostilities between Austria and Serbia. She put into Naples for safety. Loss of Warship Denied. Rome An official statement issued here Bays: "The report contained in the Austrian official statement that a British warship of the Liverpool type had been sunk off San Giovani di Medua is untrue. The British ship al luded to in the Austrian statement par ticipated with our flotillas in success ful operations against the coast of the Gulf of Drina on the 9th and returned with them to one of the naval bases at a speed of 17 knots." GENERAL VILLA ASKS OPPONENT FOR PEACE AS WILSON DESIRES Washington, D. C. The United States was formally notified Tuesday by General Villa, on behalf of the Mexican convention forces, that he had telegraphed General Carranza urging a conference for the restoration of peace and constitutional government in Mexico. This step is the first tangible devel opment resulting from President Wil son's recent warning to all Mexican factions that, unless they came to an agreement among themselves soon, some other means would be employed by the United States to relieve the suffering population from further dev astation of the military element. On General Carranza's reply depends the next move in the situation. The announcement that General Vil la had initiated a movement for peace was received with satisfaction in offi cial quarters. Enrique C. Liorente, Washington representative of the Villa-Zapata coalition, called on Sec retary Lansing with a copy of the Villa telegram to Carranza and a long note from General Villa replying to President Wilson's recent pronounce ment of policy. The note referred appreciatively to the President's efforts and outlined the purposes of the Villa-Zapata leaders to bring about a reconciliation with the Carranzaistas. In the message to Carranza dated June 11 and sent direct from the camp of the northern general at Aguas Ca- hentes to the First Chief at Vera Cruz, stress is laid on President Wilson's warning that the United States would be obliged to decide on other meas ures should a coalition of the factions prove futile. ' ' General Villa says : "In our opinion this declaration in volves two principles, which may frus trate the ends of the revolution and impair our sovereignity. First, the Cientificos, with any other group, might again enthrone themselves with American assistance. Second, should the people not submit to this, the Amer ican govrenment might have recourse to armed intervention. In the face of these two imminent dangers, and with out recognizing the right of the Amer ican government to intervene in our affairs, we think that we should seek means that would permit the reunion and reorganization of the Constitution alist party, even though it be indispen sable to make sacrifices of self-esteem, We believe also that this is what patriotism and the future welfare of our country requires of us. In such sense, we propose to you that we take under consideration Pres ident Wilson's note and that, if you are so disposed, as we ourselves are, that you advise us that we may discuss and agree at once on the form and terms of procedure in the reorganiza tion of the national constitutional gov ernment. We have already placed our selves in touch with the chief of the convention government, as well as the commanding general of the army of the south. Noted Men From Many States Plead for Adequate Defense New York Better military and naval preparedness on the part of the United States was urged here by speakers of National prominence at a mass meeting at Carnegie hall under the auspices of the National Security League, which just begun a two-day peace and preparation conference at which 25 states were represented. The speakers included Jacob M. Dickinson and Henry L. Stimson, ex secretaries of war; Charles J. Buona parte, ex-attorney general; Judge Al ton B. Parker, honorary vice president of the league, and Dr. Lyman Abbott. In introducing Judge Parker ai chairman of the meeting S. Stanwood Menken, president of the league, said the conference desired to inquire into the necessary steps which should be taken for an immediate adequate na tional defense. Judge Parker declared that the pres ent European war has taught this country that what was preparedness two years ago is not preparedness now. fJM "We are now faced with 1 1 me ques ! at.. tion, he said, whether we are in a position to protect our rights. We need not fear a growth of militarism, but we must have an army and navy large enough to protect us in our pos sessions. O'Shaughnessy Is Back. New York Nelson O'Shaughnessy, who was the United States official rep resentative in Mexico in the critical days that preceded the taking of Vera Cruz, and was later assigned to the American embassy at Vienna, reached New York aboard the Cunard liner Or- duna, in response to cable instructions from Washington. Mr. O'Shaughnessy sailed from this port September 9, last, for Vienna, where he was secre tary of the American embassy. He declined to comment upon the signifi cance of his recall. Villa Will Admit Food. San Antonio, Tex General Fran cisco Villa gave assurances to United States authorities that he would "do all in his power to assist in the distri bution of food supplies to deserving civilians," according to a message from Eagle Pass. It said that General Villa had reversed the order of Gener al Rosalio Hernandez and ordered safe conduct for Red Cross supplies destined for Monclovia. HICAGO STREETCAR OPERATORS STRIKE Local Unions Take Matter Away from Higher Officials. WHOLE CITY TO BE TIED UP BY ACT Mayor Promises Full Police Protec tion to Resuming Lines Entire System Is Affected. Chicago Chicago's business life, already running at low ebb because of the prolonged carpenters', painters', lathers' and other building trades' strikes, is to suffer still further by a strike on all streetcars, surface and elevated. Negotiations which have been pending for two weeks were sud denly terminated Sunday by the Chi cago officers of the streetcar unions and a peremptory strike order was is sued. Officials of the street railway com panies assert that this is in violation of a pledge that 24 hours' warning would be given. W. D. Mahon, the in ternational president; Mayor Thomp son and the company officials were working out a satisafctory solution of the entire trouble when the local offi cials took the entire matter out of the hands of Mahon and called the strike. This is the result of a long-standing feud between the local and interna tional officials. The companies now pay 23 to 32 cents an hour, requiring five years service to attain the maximum. There is also double pay for overtime. The men demanded 33 cents the first year and 36 cents thereafter and some radical changes in the number of work ing hours. They submitted as a basis for arbitration, a plan that would bind the companies to an extra expenditure of $1,100,000 before the latter could name an arbitrator. They also de- , manded, in advance, several pledges regarding working hours and other concessions. They also insisted on naming two of the three arbitrators. The companies submitted a counter proposition, offering to arbitrate every question, guaranteeing the men against loss in wages or conditions as a result of arbitration. The companies offered to let Mayor Thompson select five men from whom a referee would be chosen. The men refused to consider this proposition and ordered the strike forthwith. A final conference was held in the mayor s office Sunday night. The mayor summoned the officers of the Chicago local unions and laid before them the tentative proposition made by the companies, which was to be in effect during arbitration. The mayor told them bluntly that this was a fair proposition, supported by the press and public of the city, and they could take it or leave it, but he warned them that if they would not consider the proposi tion the entire police strength of the city would be used to maintain order. This means that the cars will be operated under police protection and that rioting and attacks on passengers and property of the companies will be severely dealt with. Twelve Persons Die in Fierce Storm Which Sweeps Middle West La Crosse, Wis. Twelve persons are reported dead in the storm which swept over Western Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota and Iowa Sunday night. Seven are said to have lost their lives near Ferry ville, Wis., and five near Lansing, la. The dead near Ferryville are Mrs. Marie Finley, aged 70 years; John Finley, her ganrdson; Miss Rose Fin- ley, daughter of Mrs. Finley; Mrs. John Daley, of Alantic, la., sister of Rose Finley; Charles McManus, an in fant, and a farm laborer, name un known. The wires are down to Lans ing and particulars of the casualties there have not been received. An eight-mile strip from a point two miles east -of Ferryville to a point three miles east, near the vil lage of Eneca, was swept clear, and every farmhouse was wrecked or dam- Russians Bombard Port. Petrograd Russian torpedo boats on the night of June 10 destroyed build ings of the lurkish seaport of Samsun, on the Black sea, according to an offi cial statement eiven out in Pptrntn-od under date of June 12. Many Turkish boats, the announcement says, were sunk. The text of the statement reads: "On the night of June 10 our torpedo boats had an engagement with the ex German cruiser Breslau and caused her some damatre. At Ramann our tnrncHn boats destroyed buildings and sank many oi ine enemy s boats. Cotton Is Being Paid For. London The foreign office has au thorized the following statement con cerning the cargoes of cotton on Brit ish vessels stopped by the British mar itime authorities: "In all cases where claimants have been able to prove their ownership of this cotton an advance of 10 per cent has been paid on account. Fifty-nine thousand pounds Sterling al ready has been paid and it is hoped a further 100,000 will be paid soon. One claim has been paid in full."