Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03
GERMANY EXPLAINS
ARABIC INCIDENT
Note Supposed to Suggest
Error in Judgment by ..
Submarine. ]! ll,;a

NEW YORK. October danger Of
an immediate break between the
United States and Germany over the
torpedoing OF the Arabic. with loss
Of two American lives. has been avert
ed by the assurances contained In a
note received personally here today by
Secretary Lansing from Count Won
Bernstorff. the German ambassador
Neither Secretary Lansing nor the
German ambassador would make any
statement. The latter was optimistic
and believed the new note would COM
pletely solve the situation.
Mr.. Lansing expressed no opinion,
preferring to consult President Wilson
in Washington Monday. It was evident
that he did not share the ambassadors
optimism. though inclined to regard the
new note as offering. for the present.
a negotiable basis.
Lansing Reserves Opinion.
Tho ambassador was with Mr. Lans-
Ing only a few minutes. The Secretary
OF State did not express to him any
view on the note. assuring Count Won
Bernstorff he would notify. him Of the
time for the next conference after he
had studied tho communication care.
fully.
There was nothing to Indicate that
the new German note met entirely the
viewpoint of the United States. mas.
much as the American government
maze 1t clear to Count Won Bernstorfr,
ing of the Arabic was absolutely necas-
sary before there could be any further
negotiation or arbitration Of the
amount Of indemnity. the general in
terence was that the Berlin foreign
office had taken the view that the Ger
man submarine commander must have
erred in assuming that the Arabic was
intent on a hostile act when 1ofn1 "a
the rescue Of the British steamer D1ns.
ley.
Error Perhaps Admitted.
It was pointed out as Significant .,
German quarters. that when the Gar
man government sent its first note on
tho Arabic. Offering to arbitrate the
questions Of fact in thu case, the evt-
denee collected by tho American sov-
ernment was not before 1t, since tb.+
time the data carefully obtained hv
the United States and held bv Thy
Washington government to ba ahsno
lutely conclusive, that the -Arah,c we.
not attempting to ram the German
submarine have been placed befora tha
The prevalent view, tonight. vss +h.+
Germany had admitted the error oy her
submarine commander, but wished 70
arbitrate the extent to which Germ. nv
was liable under the circumstances Tar
a mistake. Whether this would he .at
isfactory has never been indicated hv
Washington officials. though If boS
been made plain that the princtnies In.
volved would not be made the .nb3ant
of discussion in an arbitral trihunoI
Won Bernstorf to Return.
Count Won Bernstorff. at his hotel an
peared much pleased with the contents
Of the new note. which probably will
be published In a day or two. He an
nounced that he expected to return to
Washington with his embassy star at
the end of the present month.
Although it had been reported that
Secretary Lansing would discuss with
the German ambassador the case of
Capt, Won Papen. German military at
tache, It was learned authoritatively
that the subject was not mentioned.
Secretary Lansing has not vet had an
to examine tho Documents
carried by James r. ]. Archibald. in
which were letters from Capt. Won
Papen.