The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-09
GERMANY YIELDS TO UNITED
STATES DEMANDS ON SEA
WAR.
Official Information Presented to
Washington Promising Compli-
ance with View of America.

Official Information Presented to
Washington Promising Compile
ance with View of America.
Washington, Sept. Germany
has accepted the declarations of the
United States in the submarine war
fare controversy. Count Won Bern
stOrff, the German ambassador, to-
day gave oral and written assurance
to Secretary Lansing that no more
passenger ships will be sunk without
warning.
After conference at the state de-
partment, Ambassador Van Bern
-storff sent Secretary Lansing this
letter:
my Dear Mr.. Secretary: With
reference to our conversation of this
morning, I beg to inform you that
my instruction concerning our ans
swer to your last Lusitania note
contains the following passage:
Z" Liners will not be sunk by our
submarines without warning and
without safety of the lives of the non
combatants, provided the liners do
not try to escape or offer resistance
Although l know you do not wish
to discuss the Lusitania question till
the Arabic incident has been def
nitely and satisfactorily settled, de-
sire to inform you of the above be-
cause this policy of my government
was decided upon before the Arabic
incident occurred. I have no objec-
ton to your making any use you
may please of the above informa-
ton.
81 remain, my dear Mr.. Lansing,
(Signed) Every sincerely yours,
a. Bernstorff."
Victory for United States.
In connection with the letter Sec
rotary Lansing made the following
statement:
Gin view of the clearness of the
foregoing statement it seems need
less to make any comment in regard
to it, other than to say that it ap-
pears to be recognition of the fun
damental principle for which we
have commended"
Count Won Bernstorff's letter was
forwarded to President Wilson as
soon as it was received at the state
department. No formal comment was
made at the White House, but there
was evidence on every hand of graft
kcation that the submarine crisis had
passed and that Germany had &C
kDowledged the justice of the prin-
ciples for which President Wilson
has contended.
Agrees with Forecast.
The counts announcement that
the policy had been decided upon be-
fore the sinking of the Arabic agrees
with statements by officials in Berlin
and with information upon which
American officials had been depend
ing. Soon after the dispatch of the
last Lusitania note President Wilson
understood there would not be anOth
er such disaster The sinking of the
Arabic, therefore, came as double
shock.
lnasmuch as it seems to have been
established that the submarine
which sunk the Arabic has been de-
,!stroyed by a British patrol boat, the
exact circumstances may never be
determined other than by testimony
from British and American sources.
The German statement that before
the sinking of the Arabic the subma-
rine commander had been ordered to
sink no more passenger ships with
out warning may be taken as dis
avowal of that act.
PREPARATION to Come Next.
Reparation for Americans who
have lost their lives probably will be
the next step in the proceedings. Sec
rotary Lansing has refused to discuss
the Lusitania case until the Arabic
incident was disposed of. Now, it is
believed, the way has been opened
for considering the Lusitania
Apparently the American govern
ment has accepted the German de-
daration as meeting it's attitude to-
ward the treatment of all neutral
shipping as we'll as passenger carry
ing vessels. Count Won Bernstorff in
his letters referred to liners and in
German quarters that was construed
as meaning all nOn-cOmbatant pas
senger ships. At the state depart
ment the ambassadors letter was
considered as covering all the Ameri-
can government has contended for
that peaceful merchantmen must not
be sunk without warning or without
visit and search and opportunity for
nOn-cOmbatants to escape.
Note to Britain Next.
1t is generally acknowledged that
in agreeing to the contentious of the
United States, Germany expects Pres
ident Wilson to renew his represen-
tations to Great Britain against in
reference with neutral trade. The
president has steadfastly declined to
conduct one negotiation in connec-
ton with another.
The new American note to Great
Britain, making representations
against the restriction imposed by
the orders in council, is almost ready
to 60 forward to London.
Insisted ON Written Pledge.
Count Won Bernstorff, the German
ambassador, on instructions from
Berlin, verbally informed Secretary
Lansing today that the German gov
eminent has accepted the principle
that passenger liners should be warn
ed before attack by submarines.
Count Won Bernstorff was inform
ed that the United States could not