Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-09-11
Her Stand in Arabic Case
May Cause Rupture
of Relations
DEFENDS THE U-BOAT
Regarded as Repudiai
ton of Won Bernst orff's Pledge to
The United States.

: Washington, ept. 1.-The sinking
of the Arabic by German submarine
looms up again as an incident willch
! still may be denounced by this Gov
! arnment rs 4 "deiiberately unfrlend-
| ly act"
Germany's disappointing and un-
| satisfactory explanation OF the torpe'
! doing of the liner after Count VOL
| Bernstorff had given assurances that
full satisfaction would be given II II
WAS established that a German sub
| marine sank the ship has strained this
i country's friendly relations with Gel
MANY more toward the breaking point
than ever before, in the belief of Oil
cial Washington.
Hopes that the submarine CRISIS hao
been safely passed and that break
between Germany anu the United
States had been avoided have dlspiac-
ed by misgivings. Talk of the possl'
bilitv of breaking diplomatic relations
was heard again, although this TINE
il involved both the central powers,
on the theory that Austria, after, hav-
ing her Ambassador practically aus
missed from the country, might stand
with her ally in relations with the
United States.
Unofficial reports that second
note had been started from the bcr-
lin Foreign Office for Washington fur
oshea about the only basis OF OPP
imism in official quarters, so lar as
The submarine controversy was con-
.erned. There was no Official lhllhia-
ion That another communication was
IN the way, but The American reply
10 the note on the Arabic probably
will be delayed until officials can learn
whether TO EXPECT anything addition
al from Berlin.
1t may he stated, however, that Ii
nothing comes in the nature OF mo-
| ljGcation of Germany's explanation
N American note will reach. Berlin
probably early next week which VIII
set forth the views of the United
States in brief and unmlstaKao!e
manner.
Germanv's declaration that, while
| she regrets the loss of Americans, size
recognizes no liability for indemnity,
| even if the submarine commander was
| mistaken in believing the Arabic was
about to attack him, and practically
| offcs.inr to arbitrate the principle, Is
regarded in official circles as leaving
The whole submarine question practl-
callv where it was left by the ber-
! lin Governments unresponsIvc attl-
| tude toward the Lusitania ncgotla-
| tions and in remarkable contravcn-
tion of the favorable view which State
Drpartment officials had been led t"
take by the statements OF the Ger
! man Ambassador.
The President spent most OF yes
terday going over the German note.
No official comment was made at the
! White House or the State Department
but the disappointment of officials was
undisguised.
| The general comment is that Ger
many has made Il very serious mis-.
! take by offering an explanation which
can scarcely be accepted. Officials
were not slow to point out that al
accounts except those from German
sources stated that the German sub.
marine was not seen'a at all, and there.
fore the inference was strong. against
the story that the Arabic changed hel
course for the purpose Of rammime
the submarine.
At the State Department it was ad
mitted that Germany's note is hard
Iv clear. Officials were unable to re
concile the defense offered with thu
! recent assurances to Secretary of
State Lansing that Germany woulc
| give full satisfaction to the Unitet
States if it were proved that Ger
0 man submarine sank the Arabic. In
) stead of that Germany has set up tn,
defense that the Arabic attempted t.
0 ram the submarine.
The United States will gather al
the information possible from the sur