Evening star., 1915-06-04
TEUT0NIC AGENT HURRIES
WITH NEWS FOR KAISER
Meyer Gerhard, for Count Won
Bernstorff, Will Reveal State
Of Feeling Here.
MR.. WILSON FIRM IN NOTE
Washington Government : Insists
Upon Safety for Life and Prop
erty Of Neutrals Ahoat-Holds
Lusitania Was Unarmed.

President Wilson finished the
new note to Germany today and
laid it before the cabinet.
1t is short and to the point. 1t
asks definitely whether Germany
intends to be guided in the future
by the humane principles embod-
led in international law for the
conduct of maritime warfare.
1t probably will be dispatched
to Berlin late tonight or tomor-
row. No arrangements have yet
| been made as to the time when
it will be made public.
While the President and the
cabinet were discussing the note
a German agent was on his way
to Berlin to present a hrst-hand
report of the interview which
Count Won Bernstorf, the German
ambassador, had Wednesday with
President Wilson.
Officials at the German en-
bassy refused to discuss that de-
velopment, but it became known
authoritatively that Meyer Ger
hard, who sailed from New York
yesterday for Copenhagen on the
steamer United States, with a
guarantee of safe conduct OBJ
| tanned by the American govern
ment from the allies, is the man.
He is an attache of the German
colonial. office, and has been IN
the United States several months
representing the German Red
Cross.
He goes to Berlin to present
irst-hand the views of the Ameri-
can government as Count Won
Bernstorff got them from Presi-
dent Wilson.
Consulted Mr.. Bryan.
White House officials said today that
| while the President had penned the note
himself he had consulted with Secretary
! BRYAN over the principles and the de-
tails.
In high official quarters the assertion
was made that efforts to place Mr.. Bryan
in the position of being entirely ignored
in this and other important matters were
entirely unfair to the premier Of the cabi-
net, whose advice is never overlooked by
the President.
The President also has been in constant
consulate tion with Counselor Lansing and
also Attorney General Gregory. who in
yestigated affidavits that the Lusitania
vinced there is no ground for that con-
tention and the note will SO inform Ger
many.
Counselor Lansing, as the Presidents
chief adviser on questions OF interna-
tional law. sat in today's cabinet
meeting.
Previously he has only attended in
the absence of Secretary Bryan, but
today Mr.. Lansing had been invited
by the President to accompany the
Secretary.
Cabinet Is Agreed.
Today's cabinet meeting began with
all members practically agreed that
the United States cannot consider tho
German reply responsive and must in
sist. before the diplomatic correspond
ence can proceed further, upon an af-
hrmative or negative answer to the
principle that lives of non-combatants
cannot. lawfully be imperiled on the
high seas, but must be transferred to
safety before legitimate prize is de-
stroyed.
The purpose of the United States is
to keep it's rejoinder on the same plane
as the note of May IS, to ascertain
definitely whether Germany will be
guided by the principles of law and
humanity.
ceiyed. diplomatic relations. 1t gen.
erally Is believed, could not be con-
An Affirmative reply would be in the
nature OF guarantee na,an;ee against gains. further
var zone, and would make possible a
discussion of the facts In Individual
cases that have occurred.
American Point of View.
The American point of view, briefly.
is not the complete abandonment Of
submarine warfare. but its modifca.
tlOn TO BuCu III cAtcAl dS WOulQ make
submarines act as do other warships
in dealing with the enemy's commerce..
Some arrangement whereby mer.
chant ships carrying passengers would
be definitely known as unarmed ves-
sells is one Of the proposals which IL In
generally suggested might make the
submarine able to exercise the right
of visit and search.
Diniculties of communication through
the war 3onea, the German embassy
feels, have deprived the Berlin foreign
ONCE Of . full light ON the American
position. and It II to clear mp any mis-
understanding that Mr.. derhArd 10
being sent ~ Q special diplomatic mes