New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-20

warfare under the rules OF interna'
tional law. Can the President ass
any thing more Of US and stiii eia'in "
be neutral A..
The DAVIS developments in the
German crisis came fast. II was learned
~ .be early morning that the note 70
Rorlin had been sent off secretly the
,,ieb, before. in the expectation tnh'
II would reach there by the time lne
president made his address 10 Congress
;,dic,ing German methods and laying
H. situation before the country;
A, 10 o'clock the President heid
.onfcrence in which he informed the
,.ont;ng Democratic and Republican
,eo,obers Of the Senate and House FOR,
-, committees Of the action ne had
,atcn and the address he would MAKE;
tSo I'D not ask advice. but explained
his course at length. o,,
Folloy.ing this, word spread among
leeislators and officials Of the tenor o.
lie uItimatum, and by tho time ne
fsced the assembled houses OF Con
s,ress there was none who did not know
the situation. - tom, The
German circles, outlining Germany
s,snd and minimizing the danger OF a
breok Along with this IT was learned
.bat Ambassador Won Bernstorn nsd
ssLed for An interview with Secretary
Fencing within the next two days, az
ubich he will seek 10 have cleared up
oil nossible Misunderstanding as 10 the
exact meaning of the note.
I, is not expected that reply can
no received for several days. ADMIN
;strstion officials suggest that an an
swer should come by the end OF VI
week. but in German circles this Is
secuted. Such an answer coniu Cn.s
he n curt refusal. IL ~ SAID ne Del
man belief is that il Will take al Ieas.
two weeks to give the subject prop.
consideration and prepare ana trahsmi.
n reply. At the State Department
was said that this would hsrdly Dc
considered Immediate II IN the ileai
while illegal operations were continues.
The United States has acted aIone
in the crisis, il is learned. Copies oi
the note have been sent 10 o'her heu-
trails in advance Of the printed COPIES
which go by routine 70 all ioreigh Iep.
resentatives here, but there mas pee
no official consultation with them. nor
has the State Department any onciA'
inflammation as TO their attitude. COPIES
cn,s' representative in due course.
The note. it is pointed out by a hign
official. constitutes return OF inc
limited States 70 the position 1t as,
sured in the first Lusitania note, ana
later abandoned In that note the
limited States held that submarine war
fare against commerce could not pe,
carried on without violation OF neutral
rights. This position was later aoan %
doned' in the note Of July p, when the
snnearance Of submarines with guns
Ind convinced the Administration tnaII
such vessels could exercise the usuai
methods Of visit and search.
In that note Mr.. Lansing SAID;
"The events Of the last two months
have clearly indicated that II IS pos
sible and practicable to conduct suSh
submarine operations IN SUP
stantial accord with the accepted prac-
tees of regulated warfare. ,a..
"Since then" the official declared ~
has become apparent that the legal use
of submarines against commerce IS IN
nracticable. and we have gone back 10
our original position r.,
Administration officials are careIui
70 noint out that a break in relations