The Washington herald., 1915-09-14
No Assurance from Germany.

Unreasoning optimism kvas revived yesterday
as result of the conference between Secretary
Lansing and Ambassador Won Bernstorff upon
the subject of the sinking of the Arabic. Unless
it be assumed that the United States is now pre-
pared to abandon the most vital of its contentious
for the humane conduct of Germanys submarine
warfare there is no reason to believe that the
situation existing between the two nations is any
the less grave and critical than it before the
Ambassadors visit to the State Department
There is no official ntimaton that single step OF
progress has been made.
Not only have German submarine commanders
repeatedly dehcd OUR warning OF July 2I against
deliberately unfriendy' act killing Americans
and imperiling others, but the Washington gov
ernmcnt is still without definite and satisfactory
assurances from Berlin that this course is to be
abandoned. Germany has even defaulted in the
matter of the implied promises of her Ambassa-
dor, who first asked that judgment and action in
the case of the Arabic be suspended until Ger
many's side OF the story made known, and
then notified this government that German sub
marines would not sink liners without providing
for the safety of those board unless they Of
fcrcd resistance or sought to escape. Within a
dav or two OF this assurance came the attack on
the Hesperian, to be followed by a note on the
sinking of the Arabic that not only wholly
unsatisfactory, but defiant.
What earthly reason have the American gov
ernment and people for the most shadowy con-
hdence in Gcrmany's promises How can they
escape the conviction that Americans in
the same danger the high seas today as
were those men, women and children who
were murdered when the Lusitania was sunk
more than four months ago. Germany at first
refused to safeguard the lives Of Americans,
but when American sentiment approached a dam
gcrous climax, she did promise-through her Am
ba> sador-but that promise has been broken. 1t
is unbelievable that the government at Washing
ton will much longer continue to negotiate or pay
heed to technical defenses, evasions and bubbles
every time a new outrage is committed and Amer
murdered
Many other questions besides the inhumanitics
OF submarine warfare straining the tension
between Washington and Berlin. If it be con-
ceded that Ambassador Won Bernstorf is now sim
ccre and earnest in his efforts to prevent war, it
will hardly be denied that he has instigated or at
least acqucsccd in many acts of his subordinates
or associates directed against the neutrality and
industrial interests of the United States That he
is calculated to reduce the probability of the
cess of his efforts to bring about understanding,
and to this handicap must be added the doubt as
to the extent to which his representations in re-
gard to submarine warfare reflect the intentions
and desires of the powers in control in Berlin
Certainly Ambas Won Bernstorf has far
talked one thing while Berlin has done another
Neither the official communications dispatched to
Washington through Ambassador Gerard nor the
deeds of the submarine commanders have squared
with Ambassador Won Bernstorffs words at the
State Department. Is he really proceeding al
cross purposes With his home government, or is
such situation made apparent merely for the
purpose of polite and diplomatic deception intend
ed to lull the American Indignation: These are
things which should be known at the State Dc
partment, but they must be puzzlng the public
But unless something very definite soon comes OF
Count Won Bernstorfs representations, they will
cease to generate optimism.