Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-06-08
PRESIDENTS NOTE TO GERMANY
Has Been Written With Great Care
and Saws What II Means.

Washington, June i.-freslueh'
Wilson let it be known today that the
note the United States is TO send to
Germany with respect to submarine
warfare had been prepared with the
utmost expedition and had not been
subject to an hours unnecessary delay
since il was first drafted.
The presidents desire to have the
document state explicitly the position
of the United States so that 1t cannon
possibly be misunderstood abroad OF
invite protracted discussion is chlefly
RESPONSIBLE for the fact that the note
has not gone.
Legal officers of the government eX-
amined the note today and sent IL
back to the president with some
changes. It may require further con-
sideration by the president and MS
cabinet tomorrow and high ofhclais
did not know tonight just wneh IL
would be cabled.
Questions of such serious momen'
are involved that the president is anX-
ious that the communication not onIy
shall meet his own wishes, but be un.
impeachable from the point OF vie" VI
international law experts.
While the president has been at
work on the document, special govern
ment agents have corroborated In eV.
ery detail the statement OF the nrst
American note that the Lusitanla was
unarmed. At the same time Myer
Gerhard, personal envoy or Count Won
Rernstorff. the German ambassador,
has been voyaging to Germany car
rying important messages from the
German embassy concerning tne
American point Of view or submarine
warfare. a.
Gerhard's trip, however, was oe-
clared in high official quarters, 10 nave
been merely a coincidence ana IN no
way to have Influenced the progress
of the note. ,.ro
When the document is made public
oft1cials said, II not only would satls-
fy American public opinion. but would
place squarely before Germany the ls-
sues as to whether the imperial gov
ernment intends to adhere to hltnerto
accepted principles OF internationai
law on maritime warfare.
The president has been displeased
nv numerous detailed accounts that
have been published Of what the note
would contain when he himself naa
not settled finally on Its contents. ne
is anxious that misconceptions OF the
position Of the United States snail not
be cabied abroad, and that the Amer.
can people Sndll SuSpchu
until they read the text.
The general view in German quar-
ters here is that the recent trend OF
events gives hopes Of a friendly ad-
iustment. This is based not alone on
the probable course of the German
side of the negotiations, but also OF
the American course, which Is regard
ed as developing along lines which
will permit Of a satisfactory conclu-
sion.
AS 10 the Lusitania, the German
position thus far has been that she
was an armed ship. But when the
United States government states den-
nitely that its official information
shows the ship was unarmed, when II
is suggested that the Berlin authorities
will be in a position to accept this
positive assurance from a friendly
government. notwithstanding any re-
port Germany may have to the con-
trary. ;, :,
The recent Won Jagow note, 1t Is
pointed out, was predicated on the
view that the Lusitania was an armed
ship, but did not assert the princlple
that unarmed passenger ships could De
similarly sunk. 1t Is maintained there-
fore that the principle of immunity TO
unarmed passenger ships is one wnlcn
could be accepted by Germany as CON
sistent with her attitude up to this
time, and would give the largest meas
ure Of protection to Americans In the
future. Such an agreement on the
status of the Lusitania and the prin-
ciple to govern unarmed passenger
ships, it is generally admitted, would
pave the way for a much wider ad-
justment of all the various conflicts
which have arisen over American
ships and the safety Of the seas and
the hope is expressed that this larger
adjustment might even in turn lead to
the supreme question of bringing the
,,,o rripo nations to neace