The Washington herald., 1915-05-14

OF maintaining the rights OF the United
States and of safeguarding their free
exercise and enjoyment
The demands for reparation. dlsavoval
and assurances as to the future have
been regarded as the least that the
United States could present to Germany.
To them. however. President Wilson has
indirectly added another. amounting
practically to a summons to Germany to
| give up her submarine program as d.
rected against merchantmen.
'Manifestly." says the President. sub
marines cannot be used against merchant
men. as the last few weeks have shown
" ithout an inevitable violation Of MANY
sacred principles of Justice and human
iity."
This advance stand by President Will
son is of the greatest Importance, as
It commits the United States definitely
against any use of submarines as COM
merce destroyers In time of war.
May Embarrass Germany.
The very exalted plane on which the
president makes his appeal is likely to
make II all the more difficult for Ger
many fully to accede to his demands
In this connection was heard the only
criticism voiced against the note here
Many feared that in seeking to make il
yield by assuming that the attacks COM
planned of could not have the counte-
nance or sanction of that great govern
ment.' he really added to the difficulties
of Germany in the present situation. 1t
is feared here that the reluctance the
President expresses to believe that the
German government did direct these acts
will make it relatively more difficult for
Germany TO acknowledge responsibility
for them.
Money Reparation Expected.
What will be the results of this note
with so many possibilities for the United
States can. Of course. be only conjecture
at present. No official statement has
been given in Washington of the Ger
man attitude toward the demands, but
it is known that persons who are in
close touch with German public opinion
fear that the Kaiser and his advisers
will not find 1t consistent with national
honor to concede all the demands of the
United States. There Is little doubt that
they will offer money reparation and
possibly satisfaction of another char
acter. But the demands for a disavoyaI
of responsibility and complete change
of the German submarine program are
such that 1t will admittedly be most diff
fcult for Germany to yield.
In the event of Germany failing to
meet the demands of this government. it
seems likely that severing of diplomatic
relations must result. After that the
situation will be just as serious as Ger
many cares to make it. II there is war |
1t will be on the initiative of Germany. |
That a severance of diplomatic rela-
tions is likely to result in a state of &C.
tual hostilities is fully realized here.
Thought has been given to such even.
Qualities by those responsible for the |
course expressed In the note sent today. |
The universal feeling here is that this \
decision by the President is irrevocable;
that he was never more determined to
see through the course he has adopted,
and, that the United States once com.
mitted to the cause Of bringing Germany
to an observance Of the laws Of civiliza-
ton. he will feel in honor bound to
throw all the forces at his command
into the balance. should words fail.
There is an absolute conviction that ways
can be found by which the United State.
could make its material influence felt,
in case its moral influence proves to be
to prevail upon Germany.