The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-06-03

Representations Will Be Made to
Germany Inquirine Whether That
Government Intends, in the Future,
to Be Guided by the Accepted Prin-
cipIes of International Law and
Rights of Nentrals.
Washington, June 2-President Will.
son determined that the United States
must ascertain definitely and very
promptly from Germany whether the
imperial German government intends,
in the future, to be guided by the &C.
copied principles of international law
and the rights of neutrals or to follow
The president listened to varied
expression of opinion at meeting Of
his cabinet, taking little part in the
discussion himself Later he began
the preparation of a note to be dis
patched before the end of this week,
embodying his own ideas and what
seemed to him the consensus of his
official family.
The verdict of majority of the
cabinet was that the German reply to
the American note, following the sink
ing of the Lusitania, was unresponsive
and unsatisfactory, disregarded the
good will of the United States, doubt
ed the facts and disclaimed all blame
ctr11a If n f.
man with American lives.
The questions of fact raised by Ger
many we're regarded as irrelevant at
this time.
Must Obtain Early Answer.
The trend of opinion was that the
United States must inquire and obtain
an early answer as to whether Ger
many intends to recognize the hither.
10 accepted principle that neutrals
may travel anywhere on the high seas
on unarmed merchant ships, even if
carrying contraband, whether or not
such vessels carry cOntraband,
and that merchantmen which do not
resist capture must be visited and
searched and the passengers and
crew transferred to a place of safety
before the vessel is destroyed.
An unfavorable answer to this in
quiry would lead, it was predicted in
official quarters, to a severance of
diplomatic relations, on the grounds
that the United States could not con-
tinue intercourse with a government
which repudiated these principles.
Should Germany accept the prin-
ciple in way that would constitute
guarantee for the future the American
government would reiterate it's de-
mand for "strict accountability for
violations of this principle and killing
of Americans in the torpedoing with
out warning of the Lusitania.
Avoid Technical Discussion.
The decision to base the American
note on the principles of internation-
al law to obtain an affirmative or neg
ative reply, and not enter into tech
nical discussion of details raised in
the German communication, which
avoided the main issues, was the sin
Gil
Some of the cabinet members IA
Fored even excluding any reference to
the facts asked for by Germany, set
Ting first the point as to whether Ger
many intended to disregard the Amer
lean warning of last February that it
would insist upon the exercise of the
right to visit and search with respect
to vessels on which Americans were
travelling.
No announcements were made after
the meeting adjourned Cabinet Of
ficers indicated, however, that the
president would not dispatch the Sec
ond note to Germany until every phase
of the case, as we'll as the govern
ment's future policy, had been fully
discussed. ~.
Officials reiterated that the United
States had absolute proof that the
Lusitania was unarmed-that details
of an investigation made by customs
inspectors at New York before the Lu-
sitania sailed, the assurances of the
British government that no merchant
man would be permitted to sail armed
from the United States and a report
by Collector Malone on all the articles
in the Lllsitania's' cargo, including
ammunition, were before the Wash
ington government when the note of
May 13 was written by the president.
ENGLAND PAYS FOR COTTON
Advance Sam mn -. n: