Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-05
Ambassador BernStorff Pre-
SentS Final Statement on
Subject to Lansing Without
Comment
NO FURTHER CONFERENCE
LIKELY, SAYS DIPLOMAT
What Attitude United States
viii Take Is Now in Hands
of President Wilson and
Congress for Decision.

tssiM assvs, rvipass rsAsnor pnlnpor Asi
Washington. Feb. f---The one word
illegal as differently interpreted IN
tho United states and Germany, pro-
trudes from the tentative draft OF the
Lusitania agreement, perfected by
Ambassador Won Bcrnstorff and Secre-
tary lansing, as the stumbling block
which has caused Berlin to refer to
the negotiations as having reached a
crisis and Washington to characterize
the situation Az grave
The German Position,
Germany'H answer presented To
Secretary Lansing today by Count Won
Bernstorff, proposes instead of an out
and-out admission OF illegality Of the
method OF submarine warfare used by
the German naval authorities in sink
ing tho liner, an acceptance of liabll-
ity for the loss OF neutral lives, which
berlin hopes will satisfy the United
States and stll not bind Germany
from continuing the submarine cam
paign
German officials believe that their
previous promise to discontinue sink
ing unresistlng merchantmen without
warning brings the submarine cam
peign within the pale Of international
law and that any inclusion OF that
phase in the Lusitania incident Is UNI
necessary and humliating to the Inn
perial government
Interpretation Of Illegal"
Tho word ''illeghf In the draft tho
German ambassador transmitted to
his government as meeting all tho
contentious Of the United States. IL
takcn to have been regarded In
Berlin as being susceptible of applica-
tion not TO the Lusitania ease alone,
but to tho entire submarine cam
paign.
That is the only explanation 5ffi-
cials here can find for the statement
Of DR. Zimmerman. under secretary of
foreign affairs, that "tho United states
suddenly made new demands which 1t
Ia Impossible for us TO accept"
Secretary Lansing declared today
that tho position of the United States
vas unchanged and the German am
bassador knew of no new demands
which were embodied in the propo-
al he sent to Berlin.
Tcuton Substitution.
il Is known that tho only change
The Berlin foreign office has made in
he agreement drawn by the secretary
md the ambassador Is to substitute
Tor tho word Illegal phrase which,
while assuming liability for the lives
of neutrnls lost ON tho Lusitania. does
not admit of construction into prohi-
)ltlon Of submarine warfare
The dispatch the ambassador rc.
'eived today and presented to tho Sec
'etary was very biiof and covered
,ny that one point. Otherwise the
document Is unchanged as 1t was
lrawn to meet all tho contentious Of
lie United States
Situation Unchanged.
After the ambassadors visit to the
tate department today, Secretary
.ansing declared 'the situation is un-
hanged"
That may be authoritatively stated
. represent the situation accurately.
[ had become no more grave. and by
hat fact 1t has become no less grave.
IS status has not materially changed
nd It may remain so four or five
avs at least while President Wilson
nd Secretary Lansing consider Ger
lanya answer fully. In u like man
or 1t may be stated authoritatively
hat 1t does not follow that either a
omplctely satisfactory answer or an
pen break must follow AT the end OF
nat time. The negotiations may con-
nue.
President Alone Knows.
Whether Gcrmanys pledges given
tter the sinking of the Arabic.
oupled with an assumption of liabl-
y for the lives of ncutrals lost on
le Lusllanio, viii satisfy the United
tates remains Cor the developments
the next few days President Will
N probably is the only man who
nows
fhe American government in re-
nj communication to all the belliger-
lts openly recognized the submarine
5 factor which has brought about
great change in naval warfare and
hieh demand recognition in interna-
onal law.
German Public Opinion.
President Wilson is not insensible
nat public opinion in Germany az
sewhere must be considered and
lat diplomatic relations have regard
# that important factor. At the
me time officials dislike the inima-
ons that have come from Berlin that
Lii