The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-11

l
 Officials in No Hurry There is little disposition in official | quarters to hurry decision on the mo- mentous questions involved Since the
 negotiations began two months ago, it
 was pointed out. the United States vir-
 tually has been using the high seas 1 In accordance with its views on inter national law to that extent officials belIigerent ships carrying Americans | torpedoed without warning. Since Ger
 man submarine commanders have | made their practice square with inter- national law to that exntet officials | do not believe the refusal of the Ger
 man government itself to give explicit
 assurances will be followed by any overt acts involving further loss of American lives.
 The controlling factor in the situa- ton. according to indications in off cial quarters. is the attitude the Uni ted States should take as a result of
 the Lusitania tragedy itself It Is that which Is giving officials most concern the shaping of a course that will
 maintain the dignity of the United States and give promise of obtaining | some satisfactory settlement of the 1 dispute.
 There was no denial in any quarter | that the general situation was fraught with grave possibilities This was in- dicated, however, in the undertone of ! comment rather than in any direct 1 way.
 On the law of the case, the Amer l ican position was held by officials to l be absolutely impregnable because it was founded on the we'll recognized principles by which nations have long been guided A deadlock has been reached, 1t was declared. on the legal interpretations respectively held by | Germany and the United States on sub
 marine warfare as affecting the rights 1 of neutra1s. The question seemed to
 most officials now rather one of na- | tional policy involving the settlement | of whether the continued insistence on l American rights would develop a sit | uation menacing the peace of the Uni | ted States or whether a passive ac-
 quiesence in the German point of view would embarrass the American gov | ernment in it's relations with other na- tions.
 | Many neutral nations have indicated | informally to the United States that they looked to this country to uphold | neutral rights under international law and their envoys here were alert to- night for information concerning the | probable course of the United States l so that their foreign officers might be promptly advised
 l An analysis of the unofficial text of the note confirmed impressions given | by Ambassador Gerard during the last l few days that practically none of the Anne rican demands would be needed | The American ambassador had reason l to believe two weeks ago that fa- vorable answer might be expected but | within the last week has cabled Wash l ington repeatedly not to expect a sat | isfactcry answer.
 Just what was responsible for the IrI- | determination of the German govern
 ment to refuse to give the assurances | sked for In the American note, off | cials here would not say. Many of them, | however, did not hesitate to comment
 upon the apparent similarity in the | proposals made by Germany with the ! views expressed by former Secretary Bryan. There have been frequent inti-
 nations, too, through official sources here that since the resignation of MT. | Bryan. high German officials believed | public sentiment In the United States
 was divided and would not continue unanimously to support the position l taken by President Wilson
 Editorial Comment Read Editorial comment of American newspapers was read with deep inter- est by officials and there was satis- l faction when 1t was learned that ap | .nS "V" sp''pet dttituue iaTSe- l ly coincfded with the official view l here-that the German suggestions could not be accepted
 Outwardly executive quarters dis played the usual half holiday atmos- | phere.
 | Secretary Lansing spent the after | noon at home at work on memoranda ! on the situation. Secretary Humility | was in frequent communication by tel l ephone with President Wilson l The date of MT Lansing's departure l for Cornish with the official text of the reply has not been received. l Only three sections of the five in which the note was coded by Ambas-
 sador Gerard had reached here late to- l night Tomorrow the complete text will be available and will be made public 1 Secretary Lansing said he had no
 reason to doubt the correctness of the