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."