Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-09
Answer on Sinking of Lusi.
tania and Submarine War;
fare Is on Way Here.
BERLIN HOPES FOB BASIS
TO CONTINUE PARLEYs
Gottlieb Won Jagow, Minister Of
Foreign Affairs, Discusses Ef-
feet Of Cable Cutting.

DN|AA>, Juiy y, ~. 50 d-Iu.s
via London, $50 p.m.-The Ger
man reply to the American note
regarding the sinking of the Lusi-
tania and submarine warfare was
delivered to James w. Gerard,
American ambassador in Berlin,
late last night.
The note is now being trans
lated, and it will go forward to
Washington some time today.
Certain paragraphs embodying the
principal features of the German offer
already have been dispatched to Wash
fngton. but the final sections OF the
communication probably will not be on
the wire for transmission before a
late hour this afternoon. This is be-
cause the note is OF considerable
length.
The text Of the note will meanwhile
be withheld from the newspaper cor
respondents. and permission for the
transmission of summaries is being
withheld. This is done to give the
Publication Of Text Deferred.
The general tenor and motive of the
government as contained in the note
have been communicated conhdentiaiiy
to the leading representatives Of the
press. but 1t is understood that the
publication Of the text in Berlin will
be deferred until the afternoon of the
n ruyhI Iot, 10 tod of ash
ington. The note will go forward to
Washington in approximately the same
form In which 1t was drafted.
The outlines of this draft were SUBJ
him forwarded to the State Depart
ment. In the expectation by German
officials that the American government
would suggest any changes that might
be deemed advisable. Although. ac-
cording to some unofficfal dispatches
from Washington, the note is consid-
cred Unsatisfactory" 1t is believed
here that 1t is far less so than when
the exchange began, and 1t is hoped
that it will lay the basis for continu-
ing the negotiations.
Difficult to Negotiate.
Gottlieb Won Jagow, minister of for
eign affairs. discussed the difficult
ties under which the negotiations
slowness and incompleteness of COM
munications between Germany and the
United States and the obstruction to
the free exchange of news between the
German and American press and pub
lie.
Il see, said the minister. that the
text Of the note Of the imperial gov
ernment. presented through Ambassa-
dor Gerard. regarding the reopening
Of the direct cable to the United
States, was published by the American
papers June IA The American pu bile
has thus been given an opportunity to
learn Of the proposals of the German
government with reference to this.
Germany proposed to pay the entire
expense Of repairing the cable and put
of the United States to be entitled to
appoint censors at the American end
of the cable IN order to supervise all
messages transmitted over it, You will
have noticed that Germany proposed to
permit news to be sent over this cable.
uncensored so far as 1t was unpreju-
dicial to the military plan Of campaign.
THE American public has also
learned that the British government.
for obvious reasons. has taken no
notice of these proposals. Great Britain
does not want the people
of neutral countries to be informed in .
great war. The reasons are not far
to seek. That is why. at the Begin
ming of the war. Great Britain cut the
cable The result was that from the
very first day only news coming from
one side could be spread in the neutral
Advantage to Great Britain.
THAT is how Great Britain could
mold public opinion in a way suiting
her own purpose.
That is how America could form q
wrong opinion of Germany's methods OF
warfare, and that is how misunder-
standings and certain iilfeeling
against Germany have crept in.
America has been misinformed about
Germany's motives. This would not
have been the case had Germany. in the
same way as her enemies. been able to
present her case to the American pub
lie. Do you think that fair judge
hearing the other? Any one who knows
America knows that the sense of JUS
tice and fair play is predominant in
that country. We want no more than
that America shall be able to listen to
the German side of the story. if she
will, We leave it to her to judge. e.
II shall not speak of the advantages
that may arise for America out of the
German proposal. America knows her
own interests best. and needs none to
THE reopening of direct cable COM
however. would also be of
Interest to the relations between Ger
many and the United States. in so far
as 1t would help to dissipate misunder-
standings in both countries and facili-
tate their intercourse in questions Of
mutual concern.
Would Avoid Misunderstandings.
Surely 1t is in the interest Of peace
md humanity which the people of the
United States and their government
,ave SO much at heart. that the right
II free intercourse on the part of neu-
rails with the belligerents of both
Iides should not be tampered with, be-
.ause only by free and uncontrolled
discussion can Misunderstanding. which
night develop into hostile feelings, be
leared up Immediately or avoided
"And then" continued the minister.
you must not forget that some day
,eace will come. The warning nations
ave again to reach an understanding
{ they wish to keep that lasting
,eace for which every one hopes. Con-
inual misunderstanding between the
leutrals and belligerents will only
make this more dihicult. That may
uit Great Britain's purposes, but does
he hope to win this war against Ger