The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1915-07-15
WILSON REFUsES,'J0
COMMENT .0N..DIRAFT
Y. g. AWAITS FORMAL REPLY BE-
FORE DISCUSSING QUESTION
FURTHER. !
OUTLINE DOES NOT SATISFY
Berlin Makes No Admission of Liabil.
ity With Respect to Sinking of
Lusitania Ambassador Ger
ard Receives Instructions.

Washington, July 10.-The United
States government will not engage in
formally in any discussion or negotia-
tions with Germany regarding the
character of the forthcoming reply to
the last American note on submarine
warfare.
Ambassador Gerard at Berlin has
been informed that such is the Presi-
dents decision and that the ambassa-
dor is to make mo comment on the
tentative draft given him by the Ger.
man foreign Office. If asked for an
expression, he is to say that the Unit
ed States will await a formal reply
before discussing the question further.
Draft Does Not Satisfy U. S.
The outline of the German note as
cabled by Ambassador Gerard is
known to be far from satisfactory to
officials. With respect to the sinking
of the Lusitania no admission of liabil-
ity is made. Whether in extenuation
or not, the view is expressed in the
draft that when torpedoed it was not
believed the Lusitania would sink as
rapidly as she did. AS for the future,
citizens of the United States would be-
permitted to travel with safety on the
high seas if passengers on American
ships or on belligerent ships not car
rying munitions of war
The United States would be required
to inform the German government Of
the date Of the departure and charac-
ter Of the vessels carrying Americans
and guarantee that such ships had no
munitions of war aboard. In this con-
nection it would be an unneutral act
for the United States to notify any
belligerent Of the date of departure
from an American port or the charac-
ter of the cargo of merchantmen Of
another belligerent
6ernstorff Wires Berlin.
Count Won Bernstorff, the German
ambassador was in communication by
wireless with his government and is
understood to have advised the Ber-
lin foreign office that the form In
which the proposals had been made
did not appear to be acceptable to
the United States. He learned that
the position of the Washington gov
eminent is that there must first be a
recognition by Germany of the rrin-
ciple that an unarmed and unresisting
merchantmen must be visited and
searched and passengers and crew re-
moved to a place of safety, before the
ship is destroyed. Until there is an
agreement on this principle the Ameri~
can government cannot discuss any
modus vivendi or temporary arrange
ments, it is declared. The German
ambassador, it is believed, is urging
his government to make broad state
ment on the principles involved and
reserve for later discussion arrange
ments concerning the separation of
passengers and contraband traffic.
Proposals by Germany
The proposals made by Germany
that belligerent passenger vessels
which do not carry munitions of war
shall be immune from attack, provid~
ed they heed warning of submarines
and submit to visit and search, is not
regarded as of itself objectionable
providing Great Britain and Germany
were to enter into such an agreement
The American government, it is un-
derstood, would be willing to assist
in making arrangements for the safe
carriage of Americans aboard bellig~
erent passenger vessels which do not
carry munitions of war if the arrange
belligerents.
AS a whole, the German proposals
are not regarded by well-informed Of
ficials as bringing the question at is
sue between the United States and
Germany any nearer settlement than
they were several weeks ago. Presi-
dent Wilson is expected to return here
Monday or Tuesday and the formal
German reply will reach here at about
the same time.