The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-10
KAISER WON'T YIELD.

continued from Page one.
net meeting of May 1, when the sink
ing of the Lusitania was first con-
sidered. there was an informal under
standing that if the negotiations of the
United States to secure. feparatOn
from Germany for the destruction of
American lives in that tragedy failed.
the American government might be
justified in disseminating diplomatic
intercourse with Germany
Germany's complete evasion of liza
bility for the loss of Americans on the
Lusitania has revived the subject most
acutely. according to well Informed
persons.
For several days there has been an
undertone of disappointment and APP
prehenSion over what Ambassador
Gerard informed the state department
that the German note would contain.
The feeling has been, however, that
nothing formal or official could be
said concerning the American posi-
ton until the official text arrived.
President Wilson has been giving
quiet consideration to the character
of the reply and some of his advisers
already have been making. suggestions
with reference to the course that
should be pursued.
At End of the Rope.
Analysing the German answer to-
day, officials found little on which it
appeared negotiations could be farther
prolonged. The United States had
devoted its attention to the princi-
pie that Americans should be able
to travel on the high seas on unarmed
and unresisting belligerent merchant
ships of any nationality, in accordance
with previously recognized principles
of international law. Assurances had
been asked that before any destruc-
ton would be attempted, the visit
and search of peaceful vessels and the
transfer of passengers and crew to a
place of safety would be accomplished.
1t was recognized that Germany in
its latest note had ignored the vital
question and had shifted, now. empha-
sizing the conditions under which it
would promise complete immunity
from danger, to American travellers
even on American ships-a situation
which, since Germany's circular note
with reference to neutral vessels re-
ceived on May IL, had not been called |
into question
Official Text on Way.
The official text of the note today !
was probably somewhere between |
Copenhagen and New York, on its way |
to the state department. The first |
word that came to the state depart |
ment today was that Ambassador Ger |
ard had late yesterday notified the |
telegraph office at Copenhagen that it |
was on its way to the cable.
Officials thought the first sections |
would begin coming through tonight. |
The last note from Berlin took |
thirty hours to reach Washington. 1t !
will take several hours to decipher the |
Papers Are EXultant.
The German reply to the American /
note finds unanimous praise in all the /
morning newspapers here. The COM |
ments are marked with a tone of eX-
ultation over the fact that the gov
eminent refuses to abandon Subma- |
rine warfare.
The Morgen Post editorially begins
with the exclamation:
warfare of submarines goes On!''
The Post praises the courteous form
o fthe answer and approves guardedly
the concessions regarding ships car
rying Americans. 1t says Germany
has granted all it could.
An Unconditional Rejection.
George Bernhard, the political writ
er of the Vossische Zeitung, says:
1.-The German note indicates the I'M
rejection of every foreign
to prescribe how far we
should go and with what weapons we
should defend ourselves against the
British war of starvation. Germany
is iberating America from English
slavery"
The Vossische Zeitung expresses dis
because Germany did not
a condition precedent to
permitting Americans to use specified
ships, that America guarantee the
nom presence of contraband on board. |
Sr,T ~ !