Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-05
Wilson and Lansing Go Over
New Proposal Present.
ed by Bernstortf.
IN VIRTUAL DEADLOCK
Negotiations Hold Position
Assumed Weeks Ago
Gravity Potential.

son and Secretary Lansing will not
begin discussion of Germany's latest
answer in the Lusitania negotiations
before Monday.
1t was said that the president al
ready has the proposal from Berlin
before him and wants to go over it
carefully before he begins conferences
with the secretary of state. 1t was
pointed out that the situation was not
one which called for haste.
Officials reiterated their statement
that the situation was unchanged.
There was an undertone of eXpecta-
ton that the two governments would
be able to find common ground for
agreement, in official declarations that
Berlin's reply has not made the stu
alton any more serious.
Washington, Feb. 5.-The Lusitania
case again today was in the forefront
of the international problems occupy
ing the serious attention of the Wash
lngtOn government.
President Wilson and Secretary
Lansing went over new proposal
presented last night by Count Bern
storff, the German ambassador. Until
they have decided there will be no
change in the virtual deadlock to
which negotiations came weeks ago
and perhaps not them. Officials were
emphatic in declaring that whatever
gravity there was in the situation was
potential.
Apparently the stumbling block of
the situation is the word Illegal as
differently interpreted in this country
and Germany. The Berlin govern
ment's answer proposes instead of a
fiat admission of illegality of the meth
cd of submarine warfare in sinking
the liner, the acceptance of liability
for the loss of neutral lives, which
Germany hopes will satisfy the United
States and still not bind Germany
from continuing the submarine cam
! paign.
Secretary Lansing will confer with
| President Wilson today over the new
tentative form of settlement of the
Lusitania case, submitted yesterday
by Count Won Bernstorff. the German
ambassador. Meanwhile Mr.. Lansing
reiterated the situation IS unchanged.
The state department does not con-
slider that the general situation sur
rounding the negotiations, which are
| described as confidential and in
formal, is any more grave than it has
| been.
Administration officials carefully re-
Trained from expressing any opinion
on the acceptability or non-accept-
ability of the newest proposal. They
pointed out that it could not be said
there was a deadlock, because nego-
tiations still were under way.
Berlin Awaits News.
Berlin, via London, Feb 5.-There
are no new developments here today in
the Lusitania case, while news is be-
| ing awaited from Washington. With
regard to the proposals of Secretary
Lansing on the submarine warfare and
the arming of merchant men, the As
ISOLATED Press is authoritatively in
formed that they have not so far been
submitted to Germany.
The press continues to discuss the
cabled reports regarding these pro-
posals of Mr.. Lansing. The Koelnische
Volks Zeitung, an organ Of the Catho-
lie party, says that the proposals are
absolutely unacceptable as their &C
ceptance would signify the abandon
Iment of the entire German submarine
campaign against the commerce Of the
allies. The paper says that if Mr.. Will
son is correctly reported as demanding
that Germany recognize hat the sink
ing of the Lusitania was illegal and
unjustified by the theory of reprisals
then there can be only one answer
fiat refusal.
Tension Lessening.
The tension created by the latest de-
ivelopments in the Lusitania case evil
IDENTIFY is lessening. Most Of the aft
ernoon papers do not discuss the stu
alton today. The Kreuz Zeitung, how
ever, says it is necessary to emphasize