Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-05
Officials Believe Contentious
Between U. S. and Germany
Will Be AmicabIy Settled.
COUNT Won BERNST0RFF
CHANGES COMMUNICATION
Alters Memorandum Submitted Last
Saturday to Conform to Wishes
Of This Country.

Satisfactory settlement OF the issues
between Germany and the United
States. growing out of the sinking of
the steamship Arabic, was forecast to-
day in official quarters after a confer
ence between President Wilson and
Secretary Lansing.
Count Won Bernstorff. the German am
bassador. in a brief conversation
earlier in the day, gave Secretary
Lansing oral assurances that his COM
munications submitted last Saturday
would be changed to conform to the
wishes of the United States. and an
hour later a messenger from the Ger
man embassy brought the document to
the State Department.
Mr.. Lansing Sees President.
Immediately afterward Secretary
Lansing took it to the White House
and after a brief talk with President
Wilson said there would be an an
nouncement shortly on the status OF
the negotiations.
In all quarters it was indicated that
the wishes of the United States had
been met to the extent that an ar
rangement had been made for the
settlement of points in dispute.
From the German embassy came the
intimation that the American view
point on the Arabic case had been sat-
isfactorily met, and that the entire
submarine issue is in process of ami
cable settlement
1t was pointed out that disavowal of
the act of sinking of the Arabic had
been given through the acceptance by
Germany of the evidence subm. tied by
the United States tending to prove
hn h. ~
when he thought the vessel was trying
to sink his submarine.
PREPARATION Question Undecided.
Admission of the mistake was con-
veyed last Saturday by the German am
bassador. but the American govern.
ment's construction of 1t was that ac-
acknowledgement Of error was valueless
unless accompanied by PREPARATION or
the assumption of liability. On that
point no word could be obtained from
the embassy or the State Department.
It was considered possible that IL Ger
many admitted liability. the amount Of
damage might be determined by Dip
lomatfc negotiations through commits
damages in the case Of the American
ship William p. Frye.
Until Germany's intentions with ~.
spect to liability are fully made clear.
be too optimistic, though they admit
ted that the German ambassadors con-
versation indicated q favorable adjust
ment of the difficulties.
Count Won Bernstorn came to WASH
ington today from New York to confer
further with Secretary Lansing over
the Arabic case.
The ambassador talked less than .
half hour with Secretary Lansing.
Leaves Conference Smiling.
"Oh. everything is all right" he said,
as he came. smiling. from Secretary
Lansing's Office. II cannot throw light
on the subject" he added II would
rather have any light come from SEQ
Rotary Lansing; anything must como
from him."
How soon do you expect something
definite regarding the Arabic?" he was
asked.
II am not expecting anything" he
replied, as he drove away to the en-
bassy.
secretary Lansing indicated there
might be some public announcement
possibly within twenty-four hours. He
regarded today's conference as a con-
tinuation of the conversations between
the ambassador and himself, and that
there might be another conversation
soon. The ambassador is expected to
Whether there would be any further
communication from Berlin as a pre-
liminary to a public announcement was
not disclosed today by either : ate De-
partment officials OF by the am
baSSador.