The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-05-11
WILSON TO ACCEPT
1 BERLIN'S PROMISE
Break Between United States
and Germany Averted.,
WILL DISCUSS" SOME POINTS
Reported at Washington President
VIII Not Discuss Submarine Issue
With Britain as Urged
by the Kaiser.

Washington, May 6.-The consensus
of opinion in Washington is that the
= danger Of a break in diplomatic rela-
tons between the United, States and
Germany has been averted. .-.y : :
Administration officials, diplomats
and members of congress were almost
unit in the opinion that the German
reply complies with the basic demands
of the president for abandonment of
illegal submarine warfare. ~. 80.
President Wilson and Secretary
Lansing, however, withheld official
announcement of their views. They
will await the receipt of the official
text Of the note from Ambassador
Gerard '..
Tone Of Answer Resented.
~ Although they were inclined to take
exception to the tone of the German
reply and to consider it not wholly
clear and not entirely satisfactory,
the president and his cabinet were
said to be agreed that the only course
open Is to accept the German prom
ises. 49,. yE
; At the same. time 1t was authorize
lively stated that the president will
accept the German governments IN.
structions to submarine commanders
only as an Unconditional compliance
with the United States demands" :
: The president is determined to
maintain, the position he took In earlier
correspondence that he will not com
plicate negotiations with Germany by
any discussion of the British food
blockade. .,. .,ss
viii Ignore Conditional Clause.
z 1t is the present intention of the
president, 1t is said, to ignore alto
>gether the conditional clause of the
German reply, which is construed as
proposing a triangular discussion Of
the submarine issue by the United
States, Germany and Great Britain.
The ambiguous phrasing of the new
orders to German submarine com
manders, which refers to the destruc-
ton of merchant vessels recognized by
international law" raised another
point that may lead to future discus
sion. 4A,. ....l +.~-: ID
~ The state department made itSpIain
that the United States win DISCUSS
with Germany any legitimate phase
of the question Of submarine opera
lions remaining to be settled, pFovid-
ing in the meantime Germany sus-
ponds illegal submarine operations.
g.
manders are construed as meeting
fully this condition.
Points to Be Cleared. g.
The scope of these engOtiatiOns and
the manner of conducting them is a
matter to be determined The first
point the state department will seek
to clear up is what Germany means
by her reference to international
law" in the new orders to submarine
commanders. r@ Z ~t'-
=: If the German government intends
by this phrase to separate unarmed
vessels from vessels defenstvely
armed there will be conflict officials
said.
But until this bridge is reached the
state department will take the posi-.
ton that the new orders to subna-
rine commanders guarantee that no
unresistfng merchant vessel will be
sunk until the passengers have been
put in places Of safety.
The important thing all officials
agreed, was that Germany has gone
far enough in subscribing to the basic
principles laid down by the president
to- avert the danger Of an immediate
break in relations.