Volume 17 , Issue 14

10 May 1915, Germany Regrets Loss of Americans

Norwich Bulletin, dated 11 May 1915, reported this headlines concerning, "Germany Regrets Loss of Americans." This was a dispatched received from foreign office. Germany said it was an act of retaliation against British government for placing embargo on food for civilian population of Germany, and responsibility rests with England.

Berlin, via London, 10 May (1915), 6:41pm -- The following dispatch had been sent by the German foreign office to the German embassy at Washington: "Please communicate the following to the state department:

"The German government desires to express its deepest sympathy at the loss of lives on board the Lusitania. The responsibility rests, however, with the British government, which, through its plan of starving the civilian population of Germany, has forced Germany to resort to retaliatory measures.

"In spite of the German offer to stop the merchant vessels are being generally armed with guns and have repeatedly tired to ram submarines so that a previous search was impossible.

"They cannot, therefore, be treated as ordinary merchant vessels. A recent declaration made to the British parliament by the parliamentary secretary in answer to a question by Lord Charles Beresford, said that at the present practically all British merchant vessels were armed and provided with hand grenades.

"Besides, it has been openly admitted by the English press that the Lusitania on previous voyages repeatedly carried large quantities of war material. On the present voyage the Lusitania carried 5,400 cases of ammunition, while the rest of her cargo consisted chiefly of contraband.

"If England, after repeated official and unofficial warnings, considered herself able to declare that that boat ran no risk and thus light-heartedly assumed responsibility for the human life on board a steamer which, owing to its armament and cargo was liable to destruction, the German government in spite of its heartfelt sympathy for the loss of American lives, cannot but regret that Americans felt more inclined to trust to English promises rather than to pay attention to the warnings from the German side. signed, Foreign Office."
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