The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1915-07-17
GERMAN REPLY
UNSAT|SF FACTORY
LATEST NOTE ON LUsiTANlA
AFFAIR DISAPPOINTMENT
TO WASHINGTON.
OFFER IMPOSSIBLE CONDITIONS
As Price Of Safety To American Trsv'
elers Germans Require Report
On cargoes Of All Vessels
Leaving U. S. Ports.

Washington Germans offer EN-.
bodied in the reply to the United
States note regarding the sinking OF
the Lusitania and submarine warfare.
which was delivered to James w. Ger
ard, the American ambassador. is:
Reiterated assurance that
American ships engaged in legitimate
traffic will not be interfered with nor
the lives of Americans upon neutral
ships be endangered.
Second The German submarines
will be instructed to allow American
passenger ships to pass freely and
safely. Germany entertaining in re.
turn the confident hope that the
American government will see that
these ships do not carry contraband:
such ships to be provided with dis
tinguishing marks and their arrival
announced a reasonable time in ad-
vance. The same privilege is extend.
ed to reasonable number of neutral
passenger ships under the American
flag and should the number of ships
thus available for passenger service
prove inadequate, Germany is willing
to permit America to place four hos.
tile passenger steamers under the
American flag to ply between North
America and Europe under the same
| conditions.
The outline Of the German note as
cabed by Ambassador Gerard is far
| from satisfactory to officials with re-
spect to the sinking of the Lusitania
on which more than one hundred Amer.
leans perished. no admission Of liabil-
| ity is made. Whether in eNtenuation
| 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. As for the future.
| citizens OF the Unued States would be
| permitted 10 travel with safety on the
high seas il passengers are on Ameri-
can ships or belIgerent ships not car.
ryins munitions OF war.
The United States would be required
to inform the German government OF
the date Of the departure and character
Of vessels carrying Americans and
guarantee that such ships had no muni-
/ tions OF war on board.
In this connection high officials stat
ed that It would be an unncutral act
tor the uuited States TO notify any
hellgereut government of the date of
departure from an American port or
the character of the cargo of mer-
chairman OF another belligerent.
Count Won Bcrnstorn, the German
ambassador, was in communication by
wireless with his government during
the day and is understood to have ad.
yised the Berlin foreign office that the
form in which the proposals had been
made did not appear to be acceptable
to the United States, lie learned that
the position of the Washington gov
| ernment is that there must first be a
recognition by Germany OF the prin
"lple that an unarmed and unresisting
| merchantman must be visited and
searched and passengers and crew re-
moved to a place OF safety before the
ship is destroyed. Until there is an
agreement on this principle, the Amer.
lean government cannot discuss any
modus viyendi or temporary arrange
ments, il is declared The German
ambassador It is believed, Is urging
his government to make a broad state
ment on the principles involved and
reserve for later discussion arrange
ments concerning the separation OF
passengers and contraband traffic.
There are many evidences in Official
circles that the German controversy
was again regarded as critical and that
the reply as outlined was very disap-
pointing The concessions were re
ierred to as a slight departure from
the illegal position held by Germany
and ii was pointed out that the United
States holding a strictly legal position
was unable TO make any changes or
| surrender any point