The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-24
WILSON NOTE FILINGS
GAUNTLET TO GERMANY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

ing of the Lusitania and the making OF
reparation for the American lives lost
the administration is not disposed to
press this issue to an immediate con-
clusion as long as no further offense is
given. President Wilson is pursuing the
! substance rather than the form, and If
the German foreign Office finds it incon-
venient at home to confess publicly and
in SO many words its offense, but is
willing privately to instruct German
naval commanders not to jeopardize
American lives further, the President
and his advisers and the country are
willing to let it go at that for the time
being.
A paragraph calling attention to the
fact that German submarines in the last
two months have been able to operate
without offense to the principles of in
ternational law, is considered as indicat-
ing this attitude clearly. 1t is looked
upon as the expression of a hope that
this represents a policy rather than a
coincidence. and that will be contin-
ued, publicly or privately, as a policy in
the future.
Nevertheless. it is realized that moth
ing in the written words of the foreign
office lends strength to such hope The
last German note contained this sentence
isolated in the text, and which, except
for the record of subma rines in the last
two months might be looked upon as
closing the door to nope of an under
standing:
In particular the imperial government
is unable to admit that American citizens
can protect an enemy ship through the
mere fact of their presence on board"
1t is believed that the effect of the
Presidents note upon our relations with
Germany depends very largely upon its
reception by the German people and the
extent to which fire-brand editors in Ger
many are permitted by the government
to discuss it. 1t is admitted that under
certain circumstances it might bring
about an open break despite the appar-
ent desire of the foreign Office to pre-
vent such a denouement.
This possibility was discussed at length
in the Cabinet meeting at which the
note was approved last Tuesday. and
Secretaries Garrison and Lane made the
point that an. evidence of the intention
of the German government to receive the
note as unfriendly should be met by
the immediate summoning of Congress
into extraordinary session. This view
point. it is underwood, was Endorsed by
the President - the protests of Post
master Genera: .teson and Attorney
General Gregory.
A decidedly unfriendly reply from
"elHndng "Oulu almost certainly be
met by the calling of Congress, which
would mean the taking of steps to-
ward preparedness for war
The tone of the note leaves no
doubt as to the intention of the Presi-
dent in the event OF further offense
against the rights of our citizens Ger
many has agreed to exercise the pre-
caution of visit and search in the
cases of neutral ships suspected of
carrying contraband. and no further
trouble is expected from that quarter.
But she has refused to concede this
or officially in the cases of
ships of a hostile country, whether
they carry noncombatants or not
And the note says as plainly as
words can frame the thought that not
only the taking of American lives on
the high seas but the jeopardizing of
American lives in passenger vessels
will be considered as an act DELHI
erately unfriendly." This expression
is considered a refinement of the &C
repted intent and specific meaning of
the term ''unfriendly act" An act
unfriendly'' to this coun-
try would. therefore. be accepted as
not a subject for friendly diplomatic
discussion. 1t would be followed i'm
by the severance of diplo-
matte relations. the calling of Con-
gress, and the virtual mobilization Of
Dur national defense.