Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1915-06-03
President About Completes
Rough Draft Of New Note
to Kaiser Wilhelm.
EXPECTS TO MAKE CHANGES
Some Believe That Crisis Has
Passed, but Others Point
Out That This is an Err
roneous Assumption.
EXPECTS TO MAKE CHANGES

Special by United Press Wire.
Washington, June 3:-Pessimism
and hope were about equally bal
anced in official circles today. The
President, secluded in the White
House, had about completed his
rough draft of the new German note.
1t still remains to be passed upon
by Robert Lansing, state department
counsellor. After that 1t will be
subject only to such changes as last
minute consultations which the cabi-
net suggests. Because of the optim-
istic attitude assumed by Ambassa-
dor Won Bernstorff after leaving the
President, many officials took the
position that the crisis was passed.
Others pointed out that this was an
entirely erroneous assumption. The
ambassador has promised to try to
make his government see that the
United States cannot back down. He
has agreed to let his government
know that 1t had underestimated the
depth of American feeling over Ger
many's apparent unwillingness to
respect what Americans consider
their rights. This may help, but
well informed officials said it was no
use in Disgusting the fact that the
German military element knew all
about 1t when they prepared the
note sent from Berlin last Saturday.
If the next reply is more fayora-
Bile they declare it will be because
the United States stood firmly by Its
original position. The President has
been warned by the men on whose
Judgment he mostly relies that q
single evidence of weakness now VIII
certainly involve this government in
diplomatic break with Germany.
By standing pat on the main issues
and modifying minor matters, these
advisors have told the President they
have good reason to believe that
Germany will make concessions and
an amicable agreement will be
reached
President Wilson will have before
him within few hours legal opin-
ion disposing of Germany's latest
contention of the Lusitania case. 1t
will then be up to him to decide how
much of it to make a part of the
new German note, expected to be
approved by the cabinet Friday and
then dispatched to Berlin. The
opinion will state positively that the
question raised by Germany concern
ing the alleged presence of arms and
Canadian reservists on the ship is
irrelevant 1t will strip the German
reply of it's most vital contentious
and will allow the issues involved to
the original American position.
The affidavits filed with the state
department purporting to show guns
we're mounted on the Lusitania and
there were hidden explosives, chiefly
gunpowder, will be considered. On
the gun proposition the state depart
ment's legal experts take the view
that the German claim is disposed
of by the New York port collectors
report, declaring his inspectors ex-
amined every part of the vessel care
fully. even entering the hold with
out finding the weapons referred to.
1t will be pointed out that no part
OF the decks was strengthened to
receive the guns. The carrying Of
small arms and ammunition, 1t will
be stated, was in accordance with
the law, and the exact statute will
be cited to prove this.