New Britain herald., 1915-10-06
GERMANY DISAVOWS
 SINKING OF ARABIC
Agrees to Pay Indemnity for Loss
 Of American Lives

WaSnlngtOn, OCI. o.-IefInany ndS completely acceded to the American demands for settlement of the Arabic case. The imperial government in a letter presented yesterday by it's ann bassador, Count Won Bernstorff, to Secretary Lansing, disavOws the sink ing of the vessel, announces that it has so notified the submarine com mander who made the attack, ex- presses regrets for the loss of Amer ican lives and agrees to pay an in- demnity to their families
 Official Washington was both grat- flied and relieved by the diplomatic victory. The communication de- livered by the ambassador pursuant to general instructions from his gov ernment gives absolute confidence that there would be no more submarine controversies between the United States and Germany, for the docu- inent reveals that stringent orders have been given to submarine com manders to prevent a recurrence of such incidents as the Arabic.
 May Settle All Disputes.
 Since this case embraces the princi- ples for which President Wilson con- tended in his notes following the tor pedoing of the Lusitania and the Falaba, the concessions made by Ger many to the American viewpoint were generally. regarded last night as paw ing the way for amicable settlement of all the cases which have threat ened severance of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
 Count Won Bernstorff left here last night, happy over the results of his work, expressing the confident hope that relations between Germany and the United States would continue to improve.
 Note to Great Britain.
 With the settlement of the Arabic controversy, the dispatch to Great Britain of the long delayed American note on interference with trade is ex- pected within a few days. President Wilson has consistently refused to send this communication while the issues with Germany were pending, because the Berlin government had, through its notes given the impress sion that on the action which the United States took with one set of bel ligerents depended it's own conform ity to international law. As the issues with Germany appear now to be ad- | justing themselves, the president, it | is known, feels free to press Great 1 Britain for a modification of the or | ders in council and restrictions of ] American trade.
 { It was not until the German am- | bassador submitted his letter at near 1 ly 1 o'clock yesterday that the change in the relations between Germany and
 the United States became definite. l Until that hour the suggestions Count | Won Bernstorff had made were con-
 sidered unsatisfactory. In New York
 last Saturday the ambassador had
 submitted a draft of letter on the 1 Arabic case, but since it did not in-
 clude admission of liability and agree
 ment to pay indemnity, it's terms were | not acceptable to either President 1 Wilson or Secretary Lansing. Yes
 terday he came to Washington at the
 request of MT. Lansing.
 In a few minutes he learned of the | American governments objections,
 and in return gave oral assurances , that these would be promptly over- | come.
 Von Bernstorffs Letter. I Returning to the embassy, the am- l bassadOr re-drafted the letter origin
 ally delivered in New York and sent
 it by messenger to the state depart 1 ment. Secretary Lansing carried it l to the White House and shortly after
 ward announced it's text, which fol- | lows:
 ] My dear MT. Secretary:- l Prompted by the desire to reach a satisfactory agreement with regard | to the Arabic incident my government | has given me the following instruc- 1 tions: The orders issued by his ma | jesty, the emperor, to the comman- 1 ders of the German submarines, of 1 which I notified you on a previous | occasion, has been made so stringent | that the recurrence of incidents simi- l lar to the Arabic case is considered l out of the question.
 l According to the report of Com | mander Schneider of the submarine | which sank the Arabic and his affi- l davit as well as those of his men | Commander Schneider was convinced 1 that the Arabic intended to ram the l submarine.
 1 "On the other hand the imperial 1 government does not doubt the good faith of the affidavit of the British