The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-15
.KA|SER'S MINISTERS
WILL ENOEAvOR TO
JUSTIFY COURSE
No News Yet From American
Ambassador as to Delivery
of President 8 Note
Bernstein Makes
Call On Bryan
Comes to Advise Him That
All Publications Purporting
to Represent German Official
Opinion Are Unauthorized


Washington. May f4.--With
the publication today OF the text
of the Presidents note summonfng
Germany to the bar of civilization,
Washington nj once turned IT.
attention 10 attempts To aaficia
pate the contents OF GernSany's
reply.
what Germany is going to do about
The demands made upon her by the
United States there was no relation
of the great tensions which has existed
here ever since the news of the Lusi-
tania was received a week ago. With
the realization that this governments
action is now thing OF the past, ir-
revocable and committing the United
States before the world feeling OF
relief was apparent in all official
quarters. 1t Is realized tou. that Ger
many's reply can hardly be expected
FOR five or six days and this fact
tended to emphasize this feeling tnat
Washington may now enjoy a britt
respite from the strain of the last
few days.
Entirely satisfied. even gratified
with the manner in which the note
seems to have been received by the
the rest of the world will applaud
President Wilson's vigorous words In
defense of neutral rights. comment
from Germany is now awaited as the
next development in the situation
While no word has came from Am
bassador Gerard as to whether he
has received the note and delivered
1t to the Berlin foreign office, there
is no doubt that 1t was presented to-
VI
tomorrow will bring some expressions
OF public opinion from Germany which
will Indicate what this government
may expect as to Germanys response.
The more Importance Will be at
tached to such comment as may APP
pear In the German press because OF
the peculiar relations known to exist
between the Imperial German govern
ment and the German newspapers.
There is reason to believe that par
ticularly during the war the German
press will be founr expressing few
opinions except those agreeable IL
the government and that therefore
such newspaper discusio nsof the note
as takes place in Germany during the
next few days will reflect the probable
attitude of the government itself.
Published Reports Not Authentic-
One cause of possible misrepresef1.
in this country in advance of the re-
ceipt of the German reply was eiim-
mated today by Count Won BernstorH.
the German ambassador. He carried
to Secretary Bryan personal note
from himself advising the secretary
that the reports published during the
last two days in several newspapers
purporting TO give the views Of tita
German embassy were unauthorized
I'D Ian Ia fnl q
orally and in the note that he felt that
the best interests of both countries de-
manded that the German embassy
here refrain from all public state
ments OF its views, leaving 1t solely to
the German government to comment
on or reply to the Presidents note.
He further advised Mr.. Bryan aud
asked him to so inform the press, that
any statements In the future purport-
ing to give the views of the German
embassy regarding the present situa-
ton might be denounced in advance
as unauthorized.
Nevertheless the channels to Ger
man thought have not been SO conn
pletely cut off here as TO remove all
substantial basis for discussion OF the
probably attitude OF Germany toward
the problem presented to her by the
Presidents note. In informal ways
the German view of the entire ques-
ton OF submarine attacks has become
so well and so widely understood here
that il is possibly to anticipates Ger-
mans course. One thing seems to be
settled definitely that Official Germany
does not want war with the United
States. How far the German governs
men will be disposed to go. how great
the sacrifices she may be willing To
make TO avoid rupture between the
two governments cannot be stated,
but is certain that whatever the form
of her response to the Presidents
note, its purpose will be toward that
end.
Have Enough War Now.
I'VE have war enough nuw.' was ~
the way it was expressed In one Ger
mar quarter this week Germany
is doing very well as 1t Ia That
his~ close to- the. mark. Germany H. IL
not looking for any more war-
LATHE as she fears any Offensive
war preparations by the limited U
States, German officialdom appreci-
ates fully the tremendous as1ist&uc9 If
the United States might render ~
her enemies. and 1t realizes also the
Continued on Second PAgesl