The Washington times., 1916-02-05
ANOTHER cRIsIS-..MAYBE

Germany sends its "last word" on
the Lusitania, and simultaneously a
high official of the Berlin foreign Of
flce gives opt assurance that it isn't
what the United States wanted, but
is all Germany can grant. Some
how the chauvinistic tone of this ut
terance suggests that perhaps Ger
many has granted that which it
knows the United States will ac-
cept, and then clustered a bit for
the benefit of folks at home, with
intent to make them believe that
America, not Germany, yielded at
the last point in order to produce
the meeting of the minds.
At any rate it is hard to believe
that Germany will force a severance
of diplomatic relations with the pa
tient Washington Government over
a detail that cannot have much mill
tary significance. Long ago, Ger
many gave assurance that she
would not sink any more liners with
out providing for the safety of pas
sengers and crews. That certainly
seems a substantial equivalent for
admitting that the Lusitania per-
formance was wrong. With the ad-
mission that it was wrong, and the
promise that it will not occur again,
there is not a very long step to
using the word "illegal" in confess
ing the error. 1t seems that Wash
ington insists on the use of this
word.
Germany might have stuck out for
this detail, a few weeks ago; but
without doubt that country, at least
its rulers, have been impressed with
the new sentiments developed in the
United States. The Presidents
speeches in the West have amazed
most Germans; and it is imputing no
improper purpose to Mr.. Wilson to
suspect that those speeches were in
tended to affect Germany, to in
fiuence the Lusitania negotiations,
as we'll as to stir up the American
public on the preparedness issue.
Looking at the matter in this light,
it is reasonable also to presume that
Herr. Zimmermann, German under
secretary for foreign affairs, was
talking back at the Wilson prepared
ness speeches when he said that Ger
many had reached its limit and that
the United States must not seek to
humiliate that country. The diplo-
matte exchanges are to be read and
weighed in the light of these entire
ly unofficial utterances on both sides
of the water. Taking everything to-
gether, there is left the feeling that
perhaps considerable bluffing has
been indulged on both sides; and
blufing, of this sort, at such a juno
ture, is likely to be the preliminary
to concessions and composition.
Germany has vastly more to lose
by severance of diplomatic rela-
tions with the United States than
the United States would lose in that
event, Germany cannot afford, no
matter how great her contempt for
the military Importance of the
United States, to take deliberately
position that will invite all the
world to array itself against her.
For the United States to be forced
over to the anti-German side of the
worlds lineup would have a vital
effect in many countries; some of
them probably more important in
German calculations than the United
States. Thus, the Scandinavian
countries would be powerfully af-
fected. They have sent millions of
their people to America. The ties
of sentiment and interest between
Scandinavia and the United States
are only less potent than the ties of
sentiment, interest, and language
that exist among the English-speak-
ing peoples. Hollands neutrality is
of the utmost Importance to Ger
many; and Holland, always fearful
of German ambitions and aggres-
sions, would be profoundly moved at
realization that the United States
had been driven from it's neutrality
Greece and Roumania, perhaps at
this moment the critical points OF
diplomatic and military contact
would understand that Americas