The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1916-01-12
OFFERS INDEMNITY
GERMANY WILL INDEMNIFY VIC,
TINS OF THE LUSITANIA
GIVES new ASSURANCES
Won Bernstorff Sees Lansing Friday
and Says That German Subs Re
spects United States Demands In
Mediterranean as Wen as in tho
North Sea.

Count Won Bernstorff, the Ger
man ambassador, presented to See.
retary Lansing Friday proposal
70 pay indemnity for, Americans
lost in the Lusitania disaster and
thereby conclude that controversy
and in addition give assurances
that any German submarine in the
Mediterranean would not attack
non-combatant ships Of any char
acter without warning, or destroy
them without opportunity for nom
combatants to reach a place OF
safety.
While offering indemnity In the
Lusltania case, Germany makes the
reservation that it is done without
admission Of wrong doing. No Off
clal Indication was given as to the
acceptability of the proposal, but one
set of American officials took the
view that it would end the contro-
Versy.
The assurances regarding subma-
rlne warfare in the Mediterranean
are of broader scope than those given
after the Arabic disaster, and cover
ing the warfare in the North Sea.
The latter guaranteed only the safety
Of Tines" Those for the Mediter-
ranean cover all non-combatant ships.
Proposals which the German gov
ernment believes will end the con-
troversy over the Lusitania disaster
in a manner satisfactory to the Unit
ed States were received in Washing
ton Friday from Berlin. Count ven
Bernstorff had an appointment to
confer with Secretary Lansing FRI
day afternoon.
Germany is believed to have agreed
to pay an indemnity for the Ameri-
"ans when the lined was torpedoed;
at the same time basing reserya.
tion of any wrong doing upon the
contention that the destruction of the
vessel was an act Of reprisal in re-
taliation for the British blockade Of
Germany.
Germany also is understood to be
ready tc give assurances that her
submarine commanders operating In
the Mediterranean will not torpedo
without warning priVately-owned yes
sells of any description, including
liners, freighters and tramp steam
ers.
German assurances in regard to
submarine warfare in the North Sea
include only liners in passenger SER
vice.
It was also stated with authority Z
hat Germany virtually agreed with
he position Of the United States In J.
I'd 4o
under all conditions, a place OF safety 7
Tor passengers aboard a ship about to
be destroyed. These last concessions
are understood to have been contain
ed in the last note from Germany re-
sarding the sinking Of the ship Wiz
lam P. Frye. ;
The communication reached the 8
state department several weeks ago {
out has been withheld from publica-
ion on the ground that it had a Ger
ain bearing upon the Lusitania nego-
iations. Germany is understood to
laye fully agreed with the American
,oint Of view.
The assurances regarding the con-
iuct of submarine warfare in the
Mediterranean convey the first infor-
nation that German submarines were
operating there. In excluding all Z
ships except liners from the sassur-
.nces covering submarine warfare in
he North Sea, the German govern
nent was represented &; considering
hat no Americans could possibly be
aboard ships other than liners In !.
'egular passenger carrying service.
It has been known for some time
hat Count Won Bernstorff had de-
7ised plan which he believed would.
end the Lusitania con-
roversy. He was understood to have
the proposition to the Ber-
in foreign office before Christmas.
There was some delay because OF the
adverse sentiment created by the re-
1uest for the dismissal Of the Ger
man naval and military attaches, and
he demands in the first American
note to Austria-Hungary on the sink
ing Of the Italian liner Ancoaa. *
AS for the disavowal asked by The
United States, the German govern
nent was represented as considering
that the most effective form of dis
avowal was assurances that such acts
should not be committed in the
future. The assurances regarding
he conduct of German submarines
in the Mediterranean were under
stood to be nearly identical with
those contained in A'lstria's reply to
the last American note on the
Ancona.