The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-08-31
RODERICK 0. MATHESON, EDITOR
Conciliatory Germany

IF Germany finally does agree to meet the de-
i mants in the american note that she carry on
the naval warfare in the British zone accord
ing to the rules of international law and the die
-tates of humanity, as Count Won BernstorH init
mates is now TO be DONE it will be because two
Americans lost their lives in the destruction OF the
liner Arabic Prior to the Arabic incident, the
press of Germany which is government controlled
and which reflects the views OF the government
rather than the individual views of the editors,
scoffed at the American suggestions and bluntly
announced that no reply satisfactory to America
need be expected.
Summarizing the press reception OF the last
American note Charles Bates Strayer, in Leslie's
Weekly states that German statesmen and editors
who had the opportunity of reading the American
note in the original expressed keen appreciation
and admiration of President Wilson's literary
style, but any other form of approval has yet TO
be noted in Germany The note" says Captain
Persius, naval critic of the Berliner Tageblatt
Expresses a determination to rob us of the wea-
pom to which we pin the greatest hopes in thewar
on England" Count Won Reventow says in the
Tageszeitung that the note "breathes an almost
hateful disregard of the standpoint of the German
government" and the Vossiche Zeitung charac-
terizes being mot neutrality, but partisanshp
against Germany" Eugen Zimmerman director
OF the Lakalanzeiger, usually conservative in his
views, says, I'VE must now prepare for very diff
fcult Negotiations yes, even for our relations will
America becoming much worse" Commenting or
the phrase deliberately unfriendly," which arous-
ed anger throughout Germany, he continues, "Wc
beg to reserve to- ourselves the privilege Of deter
mining against whom we are to be deliberately
unfriendly.'" The end of parleying is indicated il
the Kreuzzeitung's comment, "The pen has done
its work; submarines now have the say"
The note was so worded as not to require ar
immediate answer, and the Washington CORE
spondent of the semi-offcial Cologne Gazette SEN
a wireless advising Germany not to answer thu
note as it would still further inhame feeling il
America. The Vossiche Zeitung, in an apparentl,
inspired editorial announced that the American
note would not be answered in the immediate fu
ture, and that the submarine war would be con
tinued at high pressure Berlin despatch indi
Gated, however, that submarine commanders woul
be impressed with the advisability of avoidnl
complications with the United States and taking
whatever steps they could to that end 1t wa
said, too. that German statesmen are waiting t
see whether our note to England will be as stiff i
tone as that to Germany, and that this will hav
an important reflex action the German Amer
can Situation. The Providence Journal quote
Captain Boyd, naval attache of the German EN-
bassy in Washington, saying that unless tn
United States sends strong protest to Englan
Germany will not abbreviate its submarine wal
fare, nor make any reply whatever to the last not
to Berlin" .ysr.
Leslie's Weekly writer wrote his summary fO
" publication in the issue of his paper of August l.
one week before the Arabic was sunk. The ON
nous silence which greeted the news Of that flag
rant haunt at the United States, and the expect
ancy with which the American nation waited o
the administration to act, so different from tn
violent invectives that followed the sinking of til
Lusitania, appear to have Jared Germany into a
appreciation Of the gravity of the situation.
, Thus, today we have the German ambassado
Fastening to assure the state department that eN
erything the United States has asked for is to b
granted, while the Imperial Chancellor has sent
conciliatory message to the American peopl
through the Associated Press.
However it will be remembered that the la
German reply which Secretary Lansing designa
ed very unsatisfactory" was preceded by a,
surances from Germany that it covered every pOir
and would be found one in which the America
government could agree in toto. The present ac
vance notices from Berlin may not be echoed
Washington when the actual facts of the Germa
change of heart known.