Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-09

Been hampered by the absence Of cable
communications?
x'Think only of the slowness OF II an,
Teplied the minister. why we seem e
have returned to the days OF the middie
ages, when the sovereigns had TO sene
special ENJOYS back and forth netWeeI
The courts in order to exchanee view
6nd keep in touch with the Wishes oil.
ATTITUDES Of one another.
Situation Between Germany
and the United States Again
Is Looked Upon as Critical
Critical again characterizes the tense
situation between Germany and the
Emitted States. with the sinking Of the
Lusitania again looming large as q
cause of grave disagreement.
: Delivery of Germany's reply to the
American note on submarine warfare
to Ambassador Gerard In Berlin last
night should bring the official text TO
the State Department here probably
tomorrow and undoubtedly by sunday
President Wilson Is expected TO re
turn from the summer White House
at Cornish to lay the reply before the
cabinet at a meeting Tuesday.
All officials here realize tnat tnere
probably has been no essential cnanse
frosu the form in which the reply was
outlined by the Berlin foreign office to
Ambassador Gerard
On the basis of that outline the
American government declined TO en-
gage In any supplementary nesotla-
tions because the German proposals
were regarded as such that the United
States could not accept them without
sacrificing many of it's rights
Meanwhile there is renewal OF 'he
al W
il the text of the German reply bears
out the unoficials outlines, which fndl-
Gated that it would be so unsatisfactory
10 the United States
Undertone of Disappointment.
{ Although officials would not comment
saying that the phraseolosy must first
be studied. the general undertone in or
ldcial quarters was one of disappoint-
ment What the Presidents course Will
be no official would predict
One course, which some well inform
ed officials consider probable. would De
to reject the German proposals ana
notify the Berlin government, IN erect
that the United States intended to In
'sist on the principle of visit and search
for all unarmed vessels of any ma
.tionalty carrying Americans. ana tnat
. specific violation of those rishes
would determine the next step IN the
American policy.
, AS for the Llsitania case. however,
failure by Germany to admit liability
for the loss of about 115 American
lives is phase OF the situation on
which there were t tSa 1 1GM sa statss
should do.
Some of the Presidents advisers have
repeatedly counseled that the breacn
of international law was so Migrant
that IL remained only for the United
States to have no diplomatic inter-
icourse with the German government
unless the intent of the act was denied
land reparation was promised
The negotiations over the conouct o!
German submarines have overshadoWe
the Lusitania case itself. but there
were indications today that the new
,German note would cause return to
the Lusitanfa case as a foremost issue
!. Proposals Not Satisfactory.
, The fact that the German reply was
mot modified from the form in which 1t
was submitted to the American ambas-
.sador a few days ago. was responsible
for the feeling of pessimism. because
IT 10 known that the proposals orisi-
,nAlly sent out are not satisfactory to
-ofictals here. There is disposition.
however, to await the arrival of the
text of the note itself SO that the exact
,phraseology of the communication may
be taken into consideration
, Ambassador Gerard's dispatch con-
tanning the outline of the note and even
some Of the excerpts from 1t were
somewhat garbled in Transmission. and
II 10 not altogether certain that all the
points made BY Germany many are clearly ~
Issue. however. the German govern
fnent, according to officials of the
United States, is not ready to concede
Americans the right to travel anywhere
on the high seas on unarmed merchant
ships as contended for in the last
American note.
Germany has suggested that Ameri-
cans may travel on belligerent ships II
there IL q guarantee in advance that
they carry no munitions of war and
are unarmed, that the vessels are
marked in such a way az to be dis
tinguishable in the war zone to Ger
man submarines. and that there Is noti-
dcAtion of the departure and character
OF the ships.
Act Would Be Unneutral
To comply with the suggestions. in
the view Of many officials, would be an
unneutral act on the part of the Amer
lean government, since il Is not con-
stdered proper to notify one belligerent
Of the departure Of another belliger-
snt ship.
1t is understood that Count Won
Bernstorf. the German ambassador. has
Informed his government by wireless
that the form of the proposals appear
not to be satisfactory. and has urged
that II possible there be an agreement
on the principle involved. leaving for
further discussion the ARRANGEMENT of
. modus vivendi or an informal ar
rangement concerning the separation
Of passenger and contraband trafi1c.
He learned that the position of the
Washington government is that there
must FIRST be a recognition by Ger
many Of the principle that an un-
armed and unresistinS merchantmen
must be visited and searched and pas
sengere and crew removed to a place
OF safety before the ship is destroyed.
The suggestion is contained in tho
German note as now drafted that a
system of inspection be begun whereby
American officials and German consular
offcers would certify to the character
of the vessels carrying departing
Americans. This. IL Is asserted would
also be an unneutral act. The United
states has had no official connection
with the certiication by British con-
suls of cargoes Of goods consigned to
neutral countries. These arrangements
ruerely have been entered into by
American ship owners themselves to
protect their vessels from detentions
Aad delays.