The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-02

the next note to Germany and it was
not expected that the call of the am
| baSSador would have any material Ell
! feet on either it's sense its wording.
/ Immediately after his visit to the
White House. Count Bernstorff re-
turned to the embassy and went into
conference with the head of the chan
cellory. 1t appears he was ABOUT TO
communicate with Berlin.
With the exception of the hour dl-
vided between the German and italian
ambassadors President Wilson spent
the entire morning IN his study work
ing on the new note which offlclalS
expect will go before the cabinet Fri
day and be dispatched to Berlin I'M
mediately afterward.
Bernstorff Alive to Situation.
The German ambassador has told
friends he realizes the seriousness OF
the situation and is anxious to do ali
that he can personally to prevent a
rupture in friendly relations. He IS
unable to communicate easily, now
ever, with his government because
German cables were cut by the alnes-
Consequently high officials did not be-
lieve the ambassador could bring any
proposal from the German government
differing from the answer which Herr
Won Jagow, the German foreign MIN
lister, gave to the American note last
Saturday. This was pronounced I'M
satisfactory in cabinet council yester-
day.
The Importance of the conference,
however, lies in the fact that although
the interview was sought without IN
structions from the German govern
ment the views which the president
might express to the ambassador
would be transmitted by the latter TO
Berlin and would naturally be taken
into consideration there in connection
with the note which the United States
government plans to send before the
end of the present week.
For Strict Accountability.
The unvarying determination of the
United States to hold Germany to
strict accounta bility'' for violations
of American rights is to be embodied
in the note.
The main point of the document,
which is to be brief. very prob
ably will be an inquiry to as
the German government intends to adj
here to the principles of international
law hitherto accepted universally, or
to conduct its maritime warfare &C
COrding to its own rules.
Refusal to recognize the principles
set forth by the United States that
every unarmed merchantmen must be
visited and searched and passengers
and crews transferred to a place of
safety before the vessel and cargo of
contraband is destroyed, will be fol-
lowed, it is generally predicted, by
severance of diplomatic intercourse
with Germany acceptance u the
in a way as to guarantee the
safety of American lives would lead, it
was believed, to a reiteration of the re-
quest for PREPARATION due the families
of the American victims of the Lusi-
tania and a disavowal of the act.
Wants to Know Personally.
Count Won Bernstorff's visit to the
White House today, it was thought
possible, might have farreaching
effect on the solution of the pro blem.
In view of the acute point that has
been reached in the negotiations be-
tween the two countries, the substitu
ton of personal diplomacy for formal
notes might possibly, it was suggested
in may quarters, pave the way for
further informal discussion, such as
often influences the solution of inter-
national problems.
On the other hand there is pessim-
ism in some quarters over the ambaS-
sador's visit, because, it is pointed out,
the American point of view has been
explained in detail by Ambassado
Gerard in Berlin to high German of
ficialS-