The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-17

WORKING FOR PEACE
Views OF influential Men in the United
States Expected TO influence
F'atheriand.
EMBASSY SAID TO HAVE
COUNSELED MODERATION
Denial Made by Ambassador, But At
titude Expected TO Find Reflection
In German-American Newspapers
OF Country.

! Washington, May IS.-f the views
held by influential Germans are accept
! ed in Berlin, II is certain that the Ger
man Governments reply to President
Wilson's note about the German sub
marine operations will be concillatory
! and persuasive In tone, and viii contain
several suggestions calculated, from
I the German point of view, to avert all
! danger of break between the i'm
perial government and the United
states,
| The views held in Berlin regarding
the United states position on the sub
marine operations are not definitely
known here but certainly the most in
teresting phase of the situation as II
exists in Washington today Is the he
| role effort being made in German quar-
tiers here TO bring about an entirely
amicable adjustment.
Refuse 60 Get Angry.
/ Germans here refuse to see in the
Presidents note any castigation OF the
German Government at which they
should take offense and are devoting
themselves entirely to formulating
such arguments as can be brought to
bear in support of the German opera :
lions In a way most likely to appeal
to reason and fairness In the Amer
lean public mind. That is, they are
refusing to indulge themselves in the
temptation to get angry about the
matter, and instead are endeavoring TO
present ways in which ii can be
smoothed over.
These activities are regarded here as
evidence that Germans in this country
recognize the serious possibilities OF the
situation and are not willing that the
two governments should break with
each other, IL there In any way to pre-
vent II. Evidences OF this attitude are
found in the seIf-fmposed official
silence of the German ambassador. the
! decision of Or. Dernburg to eliminate
himself from the situation, ana, most
important, the private spreading OF
the German view in such quarters as
are regarded as likely to AFFORD the
easiest channel of communication to
the American public. 1t 10 reported
that the German embassy has even
I gone to the length OF advising the Ger
mana American press in this country to
be moderate In it's discussion OF the
submarine issues The German ambas-
sssior denies that any such instructions
have been issud by the embassy. but
nevertheless there il every reason 20
expect that the attitude Of the embassy
In this regard will soon enough find its
reflection In the German American
new Spa psi -
idea - Germans.
/ From the discussions that have been
going forward here. it now appears
cioar the main ides Of Germans iFr this
country 10 that the Berlin government
should take care Of the Lusitania mat
ter by proposing arbitration. and then
dispose Of the general question OF Oar
! man submarine operations by requiring
THE United states to renew Its efforts
n. -. 49, -, -
l.staryations policy In return for an
abandonment Of tho German submarine
program.
i The best German thought In this
country has been concentrated on these
questions FOR nearly ! week now. and
/ il may be aaid Positively that THAR
views sIreAdx have heen scoinmnnicated