The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-06-05
ammunition on passenger ships.

search and the transfer of her pas
sengers and crew to places of safety
previous to any attempt to destroy
any contraband Of war aboard her
I'm accordance with prize law, it is be-.
lieved the United States will insist
upon a disavowal of such acts, and q
guarantee that German subma, ne
warfare will be conducted in the fu-
.ture along humane lines, assuring
Americans of the safety of their lives
and their ships on the high seas.
Proposals on the part Of Ger
many to protract the arguments with
affidavits alleged to be in the possess
sion OF the German embassy here to
prove that the Lusitania carried guns
will not be considered, in view Of
official knowledge here that the ship
was unarmed. Moreover the govern
ment is expected to point out that
during the present discussion the
American steamer Nebraskan has
been torpedoed by a German sub
marine.
The admission of the German ad-
miralty, announced today in a re-
port from Ambassador Gerard, that
the commander of the submarine
which torpedoed the Guliflight did
mot notice the American flag on the
Gulflight until after he had fired the
torpedo" is another circumstance to
which 1t was thought probable the
United States would point as proof
of dangers to which American vessels
are subjected by the reckless methods
OF German submarine commanders.
The conference between the presi-
dent and Count Won Bernstorff for
Wednesday was the subject of much
comment tonight. The ambassador
himself would not say what his pur-
pose was, but from well informed
sources II was learned that he asked
for the interview of his own initia-
tive without instructions from his
government and that he wished to
impress the president with his desire
to do everything possible to avoid
rupture. The ambassador has had
much difficulty in communicating with
fis foreign office as the ca lies are in
possession of the allies. Some Of his
friends state that his efforts to induce
the German government to send a
conciliatory answer to the American
note failed largely on that account.
There was distinct disappoint-
ment manifest at both the Austrian
and German embassies here at the
character OF the Germna reply. Both
Ambassadors were understood to have
endeavored to obtain a response that
would satisfy the United States. There
was some intimation that the Ameri-
can note OF May 1S might have been
interpreted in Berlin as meaning q
demand for the cessation of all sub
marine warfare against enemy ships
instead of suggestion for the mod
|
that noncombatants and. neutrals
would not be endangered. Another
suggestion made by we'll informed
diplomats was that the German gov
ernment had become convinced of a
liked purpose of the United Sttaes
to remain at peace in any eventuality
and that this impression was fol-
lowed from the Washington govern
ment's passive attitude toward Mex
leo.
There was report current in Dip
lomatic circles tonight that the am.
bassadOr wished to elicit from the
president a definite idea Of what he
would like TO have the German gov
ernment do, and that Count Bern
storff moreover might seek to learn
what the position Of the United States
would be with reference TO foodstuffs
and shipments OF conditional contra
band embargoed by the allies if Ger
many acquiesced In the views of the
United States. 1t was predicted. too,
that he probably would seek to inn
press upon the president the oppor-
tunity now presented for the United
states to secure an adherence to in
ternational law by the allies as well
as Germany and thereby by gradual
stages point the way TO general peace
Count Won Bernstorff is known 10
nave told friends that through an
agreement on the freedom of tho
seas one OF the foundation stones for
the restoration of peace in Europe
would he laid
From all quarters familiar with
the German point of view here. the
desire Of GprmunV to cnntiruo tho M