DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

CASE OF THE PETROLITE. 199
In the opinion of the Imperial and Royal Government,
a comparison of the depositions of the officers of the
submarine boat, herein reproduced, with the statements
of the crew of the Petrolite, gives room to the possibility
of easily explaining and clearing up the apparently
existing contradictions as to the essential details of the
incident in approximately the following manner:
The steamer did not intend to attack the man of war,
but the improper, though well-meant, conduct of the
captain necessarily awakened the suspicion of the submarine
boat, so that its commander felt himself compelled,
after firing warning shots, to fire a few shots at
the steamer, the crew of which, in their surprise at the
unexpected encounter, at once believed that they had
been fired upon from the first. The delivery of the provisions
and the detention of the Danish sailor were
probably not in accordance with the wishes of the captain
of the Petrolite, but he outwardly evinced his readiness,
perhaps because he knew that he was confronted
by a man of war with whose wishes he felt himself
obliged to comply, so that he only had the impression of
yielding to coercion, without the commander, however,
having the slightest thought of exercising compulsion.
Be this as it may, in view of the sworn depositions of
the officers of the submarine boat, herein reproduced,
and which explain the incident in a plausible manner, the
Imperial and Royal Government entertains the conviction
that the commander acted entirely within the limits
prescribed by international law, and that, therefore
regrettably as it may be that an American ship suffered
in the event, no responsibility is to be attached either
to the commander or the Imperial and Royal Government.
It may finally be remarked that the Imperial and
Royal Government is in possession of sworn statements
of a number of members of the crew of the Petrolite
which agree in important particulars with the statement
of the commander of the submarine boat. The
Imperial and Royal Charge d'Affaires at Washington has
already availed himself of the occasion of laying the
contents of these protocols before the Department of
State.
The undersigned has now the honor to respectfully request
his excellency the ambassador of the United
States of America to kindly bring the foregoing to the
cognizance of the Government of the United States, and
at the same time avails himself, etc.,
BURIAN.
»Not printed.