If the German Government is thereby convinced that the
ship has been destroyed by Germany's war vessels, it will not delay in
carrying out the provisions of Paragraph 2 above. In case the German
Government, contrary to the viewpoint of the neutral Government is not
convinced by the result of the investigation, the German Government has
already on several occasions declared itself ready to allow the question
to be decided by an international investigation commission, according to
Chapter 3 of The Hague Convention of Oct. 18, 1907, for the peaceful
solution of international disputes.
_This circular is understood to have been rather reassuring to high
officials of the United States Government, although it does not cover
the attitude of the German Government toward the treatment to be
accorded to Americans and other neutral noncombatants, men, women, and
children, on board vessels flying the flag of England, France, or
Russia. The absence of any allusion to the principle involved in the
Lusitania case is believed here to mean that the statement was prepared
and was ready for promulgation before the destruction of the Lusitania
on Friday.
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