The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-19
REPLY TO Berlin
GOES THIS WEEK
Orduna Case Makes Careful
Decision by Officials More
Imperative.
MUST BE READY TO ACT
President Will Confer with Secretary
Lansing Today and with Full
Cabinet Tomorrow.
MUST BE READY TO ACT

That this week will record a most i'm
portant step by this government in the
management of its foreign relations is
the expectation here. as a result of the
news that President Wilson is on his
way back to Washington.
II is well known that he is coming
so."ly for the purpose of directing the
rrswcr which this government is to
make to the German note of ten days
80. in which the German government
tailed to meet any of the demands twice
.'iade upon her by President Wilson in
card TO submarine operations There
is little doubt but that the end of the
week will see the American note on its
way 10 Berlin.
To Confer with Lansina.
The President is expected to confer
with Secretary OF State Lansing today.
and will meet all the members of his
Cabinet at the White House tomorrow.
Both the President and his advisers have
had a week in which TO consider the
problem confronting them, and there is
no doubt here but that tomorrow noon
will see the basis of the American course
agreed upon.
While the Presidents advisers are for
the most part convinced that the Amer
lean people are not demanding or ex-
pecting Of their government any rash or
drastic action al this time, the convic-
ton is shared by all that the country
certainly has made it plain that there
must he no yielding of the stand on prin-
cple taken in the earlier notes. Mem
beers of the Presidents official family
also are keenly aware of a phase of the
situation OF which il is believed the gen.
eral public has taken less thought-that
is. that the time has come for the United
States not only to answer the last Ger
man note, but also to determine upon
the course to be pursued should Ger
many again cause the destruction of
American lives in violation of the hith-
erto unquestioned rights of neutrals on
the high seas.
1t is this phase of the situation which
is causing the deepest concern here. 1t
is felt that while il is not difficult TO
outline the kind Of a reply which the
last note from Germany merits it is a
most delicate problem to determine what
further action this government should
take in the event of more Americans be-
ing made victims of German subma rines
The view that prevails here is that the
government must supply the vigorous
"dership sufficient to translate the
early expressed wish of the country
nat he principles OF the issue he main
cd into action necessary TO secure
:, end.
- orduna case. it was said here
DAY. makes even more imperative
Il decision as TO the course in the
'ro. The attack on the British liner
OFT warning, when she was bound
from. not toward. England, has
-",. completely to dispel the illusion
Germany wasn't really going TO at
- nows. it IS declared. that the Presi-
Il and his advisers must make de-
i%iO1 here this week with the fact fully
I mind that any day is likely to hiring
'nrth cas" requiring that the action 10
T." agreed upon shall be taken.
Wilson'S Plans Unknown.
The President will arrive today without
one SingI" suggestion having reached
here to indicate his state of mind re-
Harding the issue with Germany in its
Present phase. Absent from Washing
ton when the note was received. the
President has let nothing become general
" known beyond the fact thai he was
giving the matter his most earnest and
undivided attention. and that the coun-
try might expect an announcement of
the administrations course just as soon
as mature consideration could he COM
p'leu ny MN ana MS ADVISERS.
Nevertheless. review of his three
notes-those of February TO- Nav - and
June show the Presidents course most
logically developed, and absolutely no rea-
son is found for believing that his next
step will be in the slightest degree in
consistent with what has gone before
That the President will hold absolutely
TO his previous stand now is regarded as
beyond question or doubt: the only mat
ter of uncertainty is how far he will
20 in expressing the American opinion
of Germanys attitude and In outlining
the course this government may feel com
PEELED to adopt should Germany's future
acts verify present fears. The Orduna
case is regarded as proof that there is
absolutely no reason to believe that there
will not be further German attacks en-
dsngering the lives of American citizens
Orduna Case a shock.
There is no question. however, as to |
the fact that the Orduna case was a |
shock to most officials here. The luIl in |
the German operations had caused 70 he |
built up here the belief that there were
not to be any more; that Germany her
self wished to avoid a second Lusitania
incident. This belief gained strength /
when the report was spread around that
the German Ambassador had given in
formal assurances to that effect. While
the Ambassador has confided sthe factl
that personally he did not expect any
more attacks on the great passenger
liners, 1t may be authoritatively stated
that he gave to officials of the State De-
partmetn no assurances that could be re-
garded as in any way a pledge of the
German government or even a statement
Of an intention to refrain from such at
lacks. Those who had entertained this
belief are now most outspoken in their
pessimism regarding the outlook for the
future, and declare that the administra-
ton now must make up its mind as to