Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-10
BERNSTORFF ASKS LANSING
FOR CONFERENCE TODAY
May Have Proposition Concerning
Sussex-Presiden Waits on Data
WASHINGTON, April 10


German Ambassador Won Bernstorfr re-
uuested and was granted a conference
with Secretary Lansing for this afternoon.
presumably to discuss the Sussex case.
Lansing would not discuss the nature
OF the meeting further than to say It
was at the envOys request. II was thought
Won Bernstorn might deliver certain
propositions on the situation.
Germany's official denial that German
submarine attacked the Channel liner
Sussex was expected 10 reach the State
Department some time today. AS a re-
suit of this denial definite action by the
United States 10 bring the submarine con-
troveTsy to a head has been seriously in
terfered with.
Officials admit that the case is SER
iously complicated by the positions taken
by the rival belligerents England and
France specifically have declared the ves-
sci was torpedoed. Germany says that
none of her U-boats were responsible.
There is no conclusive evidence from an
independent source that will permit of
the United States reaching a verdict.
oticials said it was unlikely that any
action could be taken for several days
inasmuch as the text of all of the af-
fdavits taken by the embassy repre-
sentatives in Paris and London cannot
reach here before next Thursday when
the liner st. Paul Is due to arrive at New
York. 1t had been expected that this evil
dence would be ready for consideration
at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting, but 1t was
explained at the State Department that
this would be impossible.
1t is thought that the Sussex finally
may be eliminated from consideration in
the submarine situation. Ambassador
Gerard is understood already to have
transmitted confidential reports, which
show that his investigation of the charges
made from French and British sources
that Germany has issued secret in
structions to submarine commanders to
attack without warning, and then to avoid
detection, are without foundation. The
Ambassador is understood to have re-
ported that he was fully confident that
the German Government was endeayoring
to carry out its promises TO the United
States without any qualifications
The reports dealing with the torpedoing
of the Manchester Engineer, the English
man, and the Eagle Point are also on the
St Paul and il is stated that until they
are examined 1t will be impossible to de-
termine whether they will furnish mate
rial 10 address Berlin on the general sub
marine question.
Secretary Lansing announced at noon
that he had received only the preliminary
report from Ambassador, Gerard, explain
ing that he had been handed the German
reply in the Sussex case and would for
ward II as soon as II could be coded.
The Secretary declined to say whether
the Gerard statement showed that Ger
many was also outlining her position in
connection with the other inquiries made
about other steamships The Secretary
Incidentally remarked that he had re-
ceived several reports from Ambassador
Gerard during the last few days but that
none OF them would be made public at
this time. II is believed that these re-
ports had to do with the denial by the
Ambassador that Germany had issued
secret orders TO her submarine com
manders.