[Sidenote: American lives lost on many torpedoed ships.]
Nevertheless, the German Government proceeded to carry out its plans of submarine warfare and torpedoed the British passenger steamer _Falaba_ on March 27, 1915, when one American life was lost, attacked the American steamer _Cushing_ April 28 by airship, and made submarine attacks upon the American tank steamer _Gulflight_ May 1, the British passenger steamer _Lusitania_ May 7, when 114 American lives were lost, and the American steamer _Nebraskan_ on May 25, in all of which over 125 citizens of the United States lost their lives, not to mention hundreds of noncombatants who were lost and hundreds of Americans and noncombatants whose lives were put in jeopardy.
The British mule boat _Armenian_ was torpedoed on June 28, as a result of which twenty Americans are reported missing.
On July 8, 1915, in a note to Ambassador Gerard, arguing in defense of its method of warfare and particularly of its submarine commander in the _Lusitania_ case, it is stated:
[Sidenote: German defense of German submarine warfare.]
"The Imperial Government therefore repeats the assurances that American ships will not be hindered in the prosecution of legitimate shipping and the lives of American citizens on neutral vessels shall not be placed in jeopardy.
"In order to exclude any unforeseen dangers to American passenger steamers * * * the German submarines will be instructed to permit the free and safe passage of such passenger steamers when made recognizable by special markings and notified a reasonable time in advance."
[Sidenote: American ships attacked later.]
Subsequently the following vessels carrying American citizens were attacked by submarines: British liner _Orduna_, July 9; Russian steamer _Leo_, July 9; American steamer _Leelanaw_, July 25; British passenger liner _Arabic_, August 19; British mule ship _Nicosian_, August 19; British steamer _Hesperian_, September 4. In these attacks twenty-three Americans lost their lives, not to mention the large number whose lives were placed in jeopardy.
Following these events, conspicuous by their wantonness and violation of every rule of humanity and maritime warfare, the German Ambassador, by instructions from his Government, on September 1 gave the following assurances to the Government of the United States: