The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-05-09
OFFICIALSDISSECT
GERMAN REPLY
Feel It AYGTtS Danger Of I'm
mediate Diplomatic Break.
WILSON RESERVIAG DECISION

GbGIl an " NllCQNl
Methods of Submarine Warfare.
United States Urged to Make Eftee-
tive Protest Against Blockade.
Washington. May 6.-Though Pres
ident Wilson is reserying decision un.
til he studies the official text, there
reply to the American note will avert
the danger of an immediate dipio.
natic break. The German note,
though unsatisfactory in more ways
than one, apparently meets the presi-
dents basic demand that Germany
Immediately declare and effect an
abandonment of present methods OF
submarine warfare"
German submarine commanders
have been ordered to conduct their
warfare against merchantmen "in &C.
ccrdance with the general principles
Of visit and search recognized by in.
ternational law" and these orders, ac.
cording to the note, are in effect now.
The fact that Germany threatens to
withdraw them unless tne United
States obtains concessions from Great
Britain relative to the blockade, is
not regarded as necessarily Yitiating
Germany's concession to the Ameri
can demand. The United States. it
is explained will know how to deal
with this threat should it he put into
execution. In the meantime. the sub
marine menace to noncombatant lives
is at least temporarily eliminated.
May Accept Concession.
1t is too early to predict with Ger
tainty that the president will accent
this concession on it's face value, buL
indications strongly point that way.
The president received the German
reply as cabled by press associations
from Berlin just before the cabinet
meeting. He read it to his advisers
and the cabinet discussed it for near.
ly two hours. Tne unfavorabe i'm
preston made by the sharp words in
the preliminary portion of the note
vas Offset by the outline Of the orders
to submarine commanders which indi-
Gates the specific concessions which
tne imperial government has made.
1t was the guarantees and not the
words that interested the president
Following the cabinet meeting there
were further indications that an i'm
mediate break was not imminent.
Secretary Lansing said: 81 can NOT
discuss the note at all at this time"
but, he added later, that certain in.
qriries concerning the note probably
would bS made of the German gov.
ernment. This belief was regarded
as an admission that the note had at
least served the purpose o. reopening
diplomatic negotiations between the
two governments.
There is much doubt on certain
points covered in the note which are
not altogether clear. The note evil
IDENTIFY is so worded as to leave many
diplomatic loop holes OF escape to fit
possible subsequent necessities Of the
imperial government. Apparently the
German position on the vital point at
iSsue-the suspension or abandon
nent of Illegal submarine warfare
could be summed up in broad sense
iA this manner:
German Concessions.
Germany has suspended its subma.
rine warfare in the hope that the
United States will now insist upon
Great Britain abandoning its block
ade. Heretofore Germany offered to
abandon it's illegal submarine opera
tions simultaneous with an abandon
ment of the blockade by Great Bri
tain. Now Germany apparently has
made the first move as concession
&C. the United States without waiting
for Great Britain to act, This, 1t is
explained, appears. to represent a
definite concession, and something
more than Germany has ever agreed
to do before.
The main reliance of the United
States governments belief that Ger
many has met the presidents de
naflds is contained in the orders is
sued by the imperial government tC
its submarine commanders. These or
ders state: "In accordance with tbs
general principles OF visit and search
and the merchant vessels recognized
by international law, such vessels
both within and without the area de
cIared as a naval war zone, shall mo-
be sunk without warning and without
saving human lives, unless the shiI
attempts to escape or offer resist
| ence,"
The orders appear definite enough
but officials already see a possibilit!
they may be given different inter
p1etation. according to whether o.
not an armed merchantmen is regard
l &c as a merchant vessel" The Unit
l ed states had fatty taken the stant
that this is the proper and legal desig
nation of a merchantman armed TO
defense. Germany mas declared tina
TIE imperial government regards
armed merchantmen In the British
service as auxiliary warships, for tn,
: reason that the British admiralty ha
ordered them 10 attack submarines.
g. The official text of Germany's not,