The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-07
This Government Has Con- sidered Kaiser's Attitude, But Has Made No Reply, Says Secretary Lansing
NO NEGOTIATIONS
 ARE ENTERED INTO
 BY THIS COUNTRY
Germany Endeavoring to
 Learn What Proposals
 Would Be Acceptable as Basis for Settlement

Washington, July 6.-Germany has submitted informally to the United States through Ambassador Gerard in Berlin tentative draft of it's reply to the note of June which asked for assurances that American rights on the high seas would not be further violated by German submarine com- manders.
 After careful examination of the con- tents of the proposed note as outlined by Ambassador Gerard, which coincides with Berlin press dispatches of the last few days high officials are prac- tically agreed that the United States cannot. without sacrificing important neutral rights, express its approval of the German proposal in their present form
 The draft was shown to Ambassador Gerard with the idea of eliciting from kim an expression of opinion and he promptly asked for instructions from Washington as to whether the United States could make concessions Presi- dent Wilson has been advised of the situation in several long messages sent to his summer residence at Cornish, N. H., and the impression obtained to- night from reliable quarters that the American government very probably would instruct it's ambassador within day or two to decline to express any view until after the formal reply is delivered to him.
 
 Proposals Not Divulged
 Just what Germany proposed has not been officially divulged. Secretary Lansing today took the position that 1t would not be proper for him to dis close Germanys position as informai ly reported by MT. Gerard without au- thorization from the Berlin govern ment. He stated merely that there had been no exchange of views or in- formal negotiations between Germany and the United States and declined to predict wheth there would be-
 From Berlin dispatches and author itative sources here it is learned. how fever. that the note as drafted by the German foreign office with Emperor Williams subsequent approval would give assurances that Americans might travel with safety on the high seas on certain conditions imposed by Ger many, such as the marking of bellg erent vessels carrying Americans. noti- fcation by the United States to Ger many of the date of departure and character of such vessels and an in spection insuring their noncarriage of munitions of war
 President Wilson has before him the views of several cabinet officials, some of whom believe that it is essential to have Amba SSador Gerard mako clear to the German foreign office that the United States can make no conces- sions from its position as based on the accepted rules of International law and the naval prize codes of civilized nations. Whether the President does or does not finally decide to have Am bassador Gerard tell the German gov ernment informally the views of the United States on the rough draft sub mitted 1t was clearly apparent today that important changes would be nee cssary in Germanys attitude before it could be reasonably hoped that the formal reply would remove from the negotiations the critical aspect they have assumed.
 Message Not Clear
 One of the messages from Ambas- eador Gerard was somewhat garbled In transmission and it's meaning was not ,.clear. At first early in the day 1t was believed by some officials that the sug- gestions made might offer basis for negotiation since 1t appeared that Ger many was endeavoring to ascertain in advance what the opinion of the Uni- ted States would be so that the final draft would be certain of acceptance This caused a feeling of some optimism to be spread, but the arrival of ad-
 (Continued Page Ten-s