New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-31
"WorId" Sees MoCkery in
Reply" Herold" Defends
Germany's Attitude.
SAYS REPLY
WILL FORCE ISSUE
Germany Impugns Our uood
Faith. Times Asserts Not
Satisfactory, Says press.

vigorous editorials to-day.
The World" says:
"rbo German note IN response 70 the
American protest again submarine a.
,,cks unon merchantmen does not NEE,
tho issue. Il is worse than cvaslNc'
II is insinccrc. even pcttiiogglhS' to
orot will be felt everywhere IN the
United States that the affairs OF
crcat peoplc believed 70 be friendly
have fallen into the hands OF zen ca
pablc of such desperate trliiing.
Berlin does not answer the fres',
cents questions. 1t ignores his appeal
for redress Il takes no account OF the
Tmmeasurabla wrong against "hlch
10 co,,rlaius On the contrary, haV-
ing set iuternational law ana SoieW' !
treaties aside and taken refuge behlhI
falsehood and subtcrfuGe, 1t proposes
delay and discussion on our part, While
roscrvinc 10 itself the right TO blacN
Hand our people and our goods
eff Germany does not understand
tho gravity Of the situation IN TINS
coupfry. we arc confronted by an
other nainful demonstration Of the VI
TOR failure Of ia diplomacy. j II does
understand and is intent upon rupt-
urc. j. its object the welfare OF the
FatbcrlauG or. at all hazards, IS II
seeking sympathy and support at home
:or tho HoheuzollerH dynasty?
"In either case. tho issue. 50 lar as
the United States is concerned. wa :
defined once and for all by fresideht
Wilson when he said: The lmpcriai
German government viii not expect me
government Of the United states 10
omit any word or any act necessary
of sacred DUTY
Of maintaining the rights Of the Unltcd
States and its citizens. and OF saic-
Guarding their free exercise and en-
The "Now Yorker Hcrold" says:
1.-THE request of the German govern
mcnt TO suspend judgment tA the
naval status Of the LuSitania is deter
MINED is not Incompatible with ;he
suppositiou that Germany acts IN en-
tireiv good faith The view seems to
be prevalent In Germany that the Lust
tania was armed.
Tho reply of the German govern
mcnt shows conclusivcly that Germany
is most anxious to live at peace with
America. That she desires 70 he shown
where ~ho j. IN the wrong le but natu-
raj. and VIC think falr-miuded men VIII
corccdo that with the vessel being car
RED on the navy list as an auxiliary
cruiser the presumption - strong that
German submarine officers thought her
armed AVID ready 20 offer resistance.
Resides. after the Falaba was warned
n stop she attempted TO escape. Other
British merchant vessels have sought
70 ram submarines While the Lusi-
tania catastrophe has caused great sor-
/ row here. and Is certainly much TO be
rfcroffqd still investigation NAV
uncover sufficient material 70 clear
Germany of tho charges public lndlC-
nation has hurled against her since the
dav of the destruction OF the steamer
Tho Herald says:
an terms. the meaning of which IS
rot bccloudcd b. the ACCOMMODATING
mass Of quihbie. Germany takes sharp
ISSUE with the United States and re-
aHirms and feneVs its credentials 10
submarine commanders 10 continue
their ruthless slaughter Of non-com
batants travelling upon the high seas.
The demands made by President vii
son that the German government dis
avow the acts. observed with amaze
mcnt and alarm: that - as far as pos
Siblo make rcparation for injuries
that are without measure and that IL
take immediate stems TO prevent the
recurrence Of anything % obviously
surversirc or the principles Of war
tarc' arc met with "A defiance mono the
less positive because NcIled in the Ian
GuaEe Of diplomacy and buttressed By
speclOus argument
Scarcely less thinly yelled i- the in
suit contained i'm Germanys recon-
mcndation to the attentive eXamina-
ton Of the United States what il /.
81 4
case facts not substantiatcd. and
which cannot he substantiated. and
which would have no real bearing on
the ISSUE # they were substantiated
Germany has ignored the real issue
presented by the American note Of
May II. As was clearly set forth in
that historic document the attitude Of
the United States is not based upon
any one OF the series Of events cited.
hut upon the principle involved in the
method Of warfare in which they were
[ incidents.
"Germanys efforts TO ignore The
issue can only have the effect Of bring
ing it 10 a head"
THE Times say:
"Ihe German reply is not responsive
to our demand. II docs not promote
that clear and full understanding as
70 a grave situation which President
Wilson in his note declared to be de-
sirable. It tends rather to becloud un-
derstanding. for II leaves Us in doubt
whether the German government has
been fully apprised Of the deep feeling
aroused among the people of the United
States by the series of events which, in
the Presidents words. have been OBJ
served with growing concern, distress
. and amaZement' The manner in which
7 Berlin receives our representations in
regard to the sinking OF the Lusitania
cannot fail 10 create a most disagree
able impression IN this country. which
the notes outward form o. courtesy
will not remove. And the reference to
the German proposal that we seek i'm
munity from slaughter for our citizens
and from destruction for our ships by
pleading with England 20 abandon her
blockade is SO remote from a satisfac-
tory response 10 the protest and the
demand of our note az TO engender the
suspicion that the imperial government
is temporizing with a situation too
grave for such unworthy dalliance.
I'VE regret that the German govern
mcnt has been 90 ill-adyised a. 10 re-
new its assertion that the Lusitania
was an armorcd auxiliary British
+ cruiser. She was hOt armed. re-
sponslble commissioned officer o. the
United States government. the Col
lector OF this port. whose duty it was
to inform himself as TO her true status.
has certified that the Lusitania carried
no armament. Germany impugns the
good faith OF our government when she
presents as question of fact a state
ment already proved, false. Most amaz-
ing OF all Is the 6erman suggestion
that the sinking Of the vessel is 'pri-