The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-16
GERMANY MAY ASK
Continued from First Page.)

IConunued rom FfrSt faBe-J
that this Is precisely what the Berlin
foreign Office will attempt. 1t Is be-
lieved the Germans will calculate that
by instituting discussion of the is
sues the danger of break will be
materially lessened and that the is
sues may eventually become so bur
dened with diplomatic correspondence
rs toa cause public attention in Amer
lea to. be detected from them and
action by the government delayed.
Rely on Division Of Opinion.
IT is not doubted that the German
government is being well supplied
with information about the state of
public opinion here. and that full adj
vantage will be taken of such express
slons Of disagreement with the admin
istration's policy as have been al
ready uttered by men of more or less
prominence in this country. The sup
posed willingness of some members of
the cabinet that the government
should. go almost TO any length to
avert break with Germany is well
known In German quarters, and it is
considered certain that this has been
reported to Berlin.
It Is being put forth on behalf OF
the German government that IL mad
no realization that its submarine OPP
erations would result i'm such losses
OF life; that Il did not expect the Lust
uania TO sink so soon. and that 1t Is
ready to abandon attacks on unarmed
vesseis. In this connection the pro-
posal, already mentioned I'm these dis
patches, that the United states COM
pei British ships to confine themselves
s<. SefA
eontraband, or contraband and no
passengers, is urged again as con-
dition OF Germany adopting b more
humane method OF carrying out Its
submarine program.
Suggestions Beside Issue.
These suggestions are regarded here
as wholly beside the real issues, and
in official quarters the hope Is ex-
pressed that the country will not be
misled into accepting them. II Is
pointed out that the German official
announcements and notes regarding
her submarine program contained
nothing but expressions of the most
absolute disregard Of what might be-
fall neutrals in the war zone should
they not accept the German warning
to keep away from Great Britain.
These suggestions now emanating
from German quarters are declared
10 be admirable afterthought. but
have no claim to consideration in
view of what has been already done
by the German submarines. The sug-
gestion that passenger and eentraband
traffic be separated Is regarded as
equally valueless. coming after the
fact and amounting to an attempt to
change the law in process of litiga-
ton. The neutral world. 1t is pointed
out. Is not required to give up any
Of it's rights to suit the convenience
Of Germany's limitations on the sea
in the present war: 1t Is forced, 1t Is
said, to conduct herself according to
the law as 1t exists and has existed
from time immemorial
Had Received No Official Notice.
One statement PUT forth today on
behalf of the German cause was
promptly denied in official quarters.
1t was published here that before the
sinking of the Lusitania Ambassador
Bernstorff went to Secretary Bryan
and urged him TO issue a warning to
American citizens to keep off British
ships, and that the secretary refused
to do this. Secretary Bryan said this
afternoon the suggestion never had
been made to him; that the German
note and the proclamation of the war
zone were the only COMMUNICATIONS
| TO the United States on the subject
| of the war zone,