Arabic Case
Encyclopedia
On August 19, 1915, a German
submarine torpedoed without warning the British
White Star Line
passenger liner, Arabic, with the loss of two United States
citizens. This attack occurred soon after the exchanges of notes that followed the torpedoing similarly of the RMS Lusitania
in which the United States had insisted that the lives of non-combatant
s could not lawfully be put in jeopardy by the capture or destruction of unresisting merchants. The German act indicated that it was still uncertain whether Germany had accepted the American position. After seeking to justify the attack on the ground that the Arabic was attempting to ram the submarine, the German government disavowed the act and offered indemnity. Claims of United States citizens arising out of this and similar cases were eventually adjudicated under the Treaty of Berlin (1921) by the Mixed Claims Commission, United States and Germany, following World War I
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
submarine torpedoed without warning the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
White Star Line
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
passenger liner, Arabic, with the loss of two United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizens. This attack occurred soon after the exchanges of notes that followed the torpedoing similarly of the RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...
in which the United States had insisted that the lives of non-combatant
Non-combatant
Non-combatant is a term in the law of war describing civilians not taking a direct part in hostilities, as well as persons such as medical personnel and military chaplains who are regular soldiers but are protected because of their function as well as soldiers who are hors de combat ; that is, sick,...
s could not lawfully be put in jeopardy by the capture or destruction of unresisting merchants. The German act indicated that it was still uncertain whether Germany had accepted the American position. After seeking to justify the attack on the ground that the Arabic was attempting to ram the submarine, the German government disavowed the act and offered indemnity. Claims of United States citizens arising out of this and similar cases were eventually adjudicated under the Treaty of Berlin (1921) by the Mixed Claims Commission, United States and Germany, following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Source
- Dictionary of American History by James Truslow AdamsJames Truslow AdamsJames Truslow Adams was an American writer and historian. He was not related to the famous Adams family...
, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940.