Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-07-14
ANSWER HANDED GERARD

Principal Of Search Not Recog.
nized-Counter Proposals IN
to Maintain Stand.
Washington. d. c.. July 1e.--Al-
though officials were silent today
concerning the German reply to
the Lusttania case it was apparent
that the reply as it is forecasted,
will be by no means satisfactory to
n government, and IN the other
hand that it is not likely to lead
to an open break. Provided the
German government refrains from
actual attacks on passenger ships
OF a nature to cause serious loss Of
American life, the indications are a
breach will be avoided and that the
controversy will take on the form
of a long drawn diplomatic ex-
change. accompanied by more or
less i'll feeling.
The key to the question Of
whether there Is a rupture Of re-
lations Is believed here to be found
not SO much in the prospective
failure to reac, a common ground
OF diplomatic understanding as in
the proposition whether al q prac-
teal fact German submarines COM
init further outrages Of the nature
Of the Lusitania case.
Berlin. July 1O.-The German reply
to the American note regarding the
sinking Of the Lusitania and subma-
rine warfare was delivered to James
w. Gerard, the American ambassador
in Berlin. late last night.
The note is o being translated in
to code and it will GO forward to WASH
lngton some time today. Certain para
graphs ~embodying the principal fea-
lures Of the German offer already have
been dispatched to Washington, but
the final sections Of the communication
probably will not be on the wire for
transmission before a late hour this
afternoon. This because the note is OF
considerable length.
The text of the note meanwhile will
be withheld from the newspaper corr
respondents and permission for the
transmission Of summaries Is being
withheld.
This is done to give the official
version the right Of way.
Washington. July 1O.-Information
from Berlin that the German reply to
the last American note had been hand
ed to Ambassador Gerard, with the
knowledge that the ambassador vas to
make no comment in advance Of it's de-
livery, brought the controversy between
the United States and Germany to q
critical point today.
The fact hat the German reply was
not modified from the form in which it
was submitted to the American ambas-
d a few days g was responsible
Tor the feeling of pessimism, because 1t
is known hat the proposals originally
sent are not satisfactory to officials
here.
Germany has suggested that Ameri-
cans may travel on belligerent ships if
there is a guarantee in advance that
the ships carry no munitions Of war
n are unarmed. and the vessels are
marked in such q way as to be distin-
guishable in the war zone to German
submarines and IL there is notification
of the departure n character of the
ships. To comply with the suggestions,
In the view of many officials, would be
an ~unneutral act on h part of the
American government.
With respect to the sinking of the
Lusitania, on which more than 100
Americans persisted, no admission of IL
ability is made. Whether in %extenua-
ton. or not. the view is expressed in the
draft that when torpedoed it was not
believed the Lusitania would sink as
rapidly as she did.
Delivery OF Germany's reply to the
American note on submarine warfare
to Ambassador Gerard in Berlin last
UlSuI, SuOulU OCluS the OLuC0l text 10
the state department here probably to-
morrow and undoubtedly by Sunday.
Wilson to Return Soon.
President Wilson is expected to re-
Urn from the summer white house
al Cornish to lay ther reply before the
cabinet at a meeting Tuesday. All
officials here realize that there prob
ably has been no essential change from
the form in which the reply was put
lined by the Berlin foreign office to
Ambassador Gerard. On the basis Of
that outline the American government
declined to engage in any supplement
tary negotiations because the German
proposals were regarded as such
which the United States could not ac-
cept without sacrificing many of its
rights.
Meanwhile there Is a renewal Of the
tension over what h next step will
be If the text Of the German reply
bears out the unofficial outlines which
indicated that 1t would be so unsatis-
factory to the United States.
Although officials would not COM
ment. saying that the phraseology first
must be studied. the general undertone
In official quarters vas one of disap-
pointment. What the presidents
course will be no official would pre-
dict. but It was evident that another
critical stage in the relations between
Germany and the United States was at
hand.
One Probable Course.