Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1915-10-08
DISAVOWAL BY GERMANY.
Expresses Regret Over Sinking of Ara
bic and Is Ready to Make Repara
ton.

The German crisis arising from the
destruction of the British liner Arabic
by a German submarine and the kill
ing of two Americans and about 40
other persons was ended Tuesday
completely to the satisfaction OF the
American government when Count Won
Bcrnstorff, the German ambassador,
sent a letter to Mr.. Lansing, secretary
of state, expressing the German gov
eminent s regret and its disavowal of
the act of the submarine commander.
AT the same time, Count Won Berns-
torff assured Mr.. Lansing that the Kai-
ser's instructions to his naval com
manders had been made so stringent
that incidents like the sinking of the
| Arabic could not recur. The ambassa-
dor, on behalf of his government, ac-
cepted liability for all damages to
American citizens resulting from the
destruction of the Arabic and an.
nounced his willingness to negotiate
amounts due.
The language of Count Won Bern
storff IS note makes it plain that the
long and bitter controversy arising from
the German submarine campaign is
very near an end. At the state depart
ment it was said officially that the re
suits of the less formal communica
tions between the ambassador and tho
secretary of state which ended in the
ambassador s satisfactory letter indi
Gated that better and quicker results
probably could be reached without ad
ditional exchanges of formal notes.
This is taken to mean that the Ger
A. A
on the general submarine question
originating from the destruction of tn,
Lusitania, may never reach Washing
ton. Such q note was prepared many
weeks ago, and one sentence from it
giving Germany's promise not to at
tack unresisting liners without warning
was quoted in short letter from Coun
! Won Bernstorff to Mr.. Lansing shortly
after the attack on the Arabic. Blu
the body of the note probably will Civ,
place to informal conversations be
! tween the two diplomats, although a
the end of their discussions, when
full agreement is reached on all remain
ing minor details, this settlement ma,
be made public in the form of let
ter.
!, cit is a diplomatic victory for tn
i, United States,' Ambassador Won Bern
storff remarked to a friend referring
to the Arabic settlement, "but credi
must be given to Germany, believe
for nobly accepting the word of tn
T. British officers that they did not in
tend to ram the submarine
This point, it was learned, Mt on
time threatened to interrupt the pro
r ceedings, as the German government n
first wished to arbitrate the conflict
ing evidence.
The promptness with which Coun
Won Bernstorif altered the origina
draft of the letter demonstrated tina
u he had been empowered to negotiate
complete settlement of the. case, an
Il it was assumed that he naturally die
not finally accede until the America
y government made known its unalter
able determination not to relinquis
any of its demands.
!, Secretary Lansing made no common
on the ambassador s letter except t
/ remark that it spoke for itself.
. 1t is n mild statement of the attitud
! of officials of the administrator
i. toward Tuesdays developments to sa
a that they are delighted. The rights o
!. nentrals, for which the American gov
q eminent has been long and earnestl
contending, are acknowledged by GeI