The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-10-14
GERMANY'S DISAVOWAL.

The German note disavowing the
sinking of the Arabic and Offering
full reparation for the loss of Ameri'
can lives means much more than q
brilliant diplomatic victory for Presi'
dent Wilson.
1t is a sign and promise that
the Germany government is restored
to sanity. If that be the fact, there
will be no further serious compiled
tions between the United States and
Germany, and all the differences that
now exist can be settled honorably
and peacefully.
The Arabic note complies with ev-
cry demand that the president made,
and it complies generously and un-
grudgingly.
The imperial German government
reafirms the pledge made by Count
Won Bernstorff to Secretary Lansing
in writing Sept 1, that liners will
not be sunk by our submarines with
out warning and without safety of
the lives of non-combatants, provid-
ed that the liners do not try to escape
or offer resistance. In spite of the
official reports of the commander and
crew of the German submarine which
sank the Arabic, the imperial govern
ment accepts the affidavits OF the
British officers that no attempt was
made to ram the submarine. On the
basis of the evidence, the action OF
the submarine commander is formal
ly disavowed and his name is made
public in order that his responsible
ity may be matter of record. The
Imperial government further ex-
presses it's deep regret and author
ICES it's ambassador to negotiate in
respect to the amount of indemnity.
No government could we'll go fur
Their in acknowledging wrong COM
mitted against a friendly nation and
in expressing it's wish to make full
atonement than Germany has done
in this case. The note that Count
Won Bernstorff presented to the state
department yesterday is the first
wholly satisfactory proof we have
had that Germany sincerely desired
to maintain the ancient friendship
with the United States. If that is the
true purpose of the imperial govern
ment, there are no obstacles that
cannot be surmounted.
Germany has finally accepted the
American view Of ruthless submarine
warfare Berlin has plainly come to
see that whatever temporary mill
tary advantage may have been gain
ed from it has been lost in thous-
and fold in the moral revulsion OF all
civilized people which followed this
slaughter Of the innocents. Having
frankly and fully disavowed the sink
ing of the Arabic, the way is now
clear for the imperial government to
comply with the earlier demand OF
the president by "disavowing the
wantcn act of it's naval commander
in sinking the Lusitania' and "by Of
fering reparation for American lives
lost, so far as PREPARATION can be
made for needless destruction Of hu-
man life by an illegal act
Since the submarine policy OF Tlr-
pitt was announced in February,
President Wilson has been a better
friend and a wiser counsellor to the
German government than it's own
military autocracy has been. By pa
tiently, earnestly and firmly under
taking to bring the imperial author
tiles to their senses, he has shown
higher regard for Cermany's reputa-
ton before the court of civilization
than Gcrmany's rulers have shown.
If he has finally restored the German
government to reason and sanity and
brought it to appreciate the vital I'M
portance of that decent respect to
the opinions of mankind which no
nation can indefinitely disregard, his
service to the German people is no
less important than his service to the
American people.
The war will not last forever,
whatever the outcome may be.
Some day a Germany that is not
blinded with rage and obcessed by
Schrecklichkeit will come to perceive
that the truest friend the Fatherland
had in the great crisis of it's history
was the President of the United
States who forced a war-mad auto
cracy to respect both law of nations
and the law of humanity.-New York
World.