Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-05-05


Washington. May 5. Germany's S
diplomatic correspondence with the
United States on the submarine issue
has extended over nearly a year and
has been characterized by delay,
evasion and even suspicious of in
sincerity which more than once have
brought the two countries to a pass
unavoidable. All along President
Wilson has spoken primarily for the
inviolable rights of Americans and
generally for the rights of neutrals.
Germany has been restrained by a
powerful sentiment aroused against
curtailing the effectiveness of her
best weapon against her enemies and
barrassed first by dissension in the
cabinet and later in Congress and by
pro-German propaganda conducted
throughout the United States.
LIsitania Started Trouble
Submarine warfare did not actually
enter the realm of diplomacy until
after the destruction of the Lusitania.
The accumulation of cases affecting
Americans was taken up in the first
note to Germany which was dis
patched May IS, 1915. 1t character
lied the attacks on the Falaba, Cush-
ing, Gulflight and Lusitania. as a
series of events. which the United
CldlGS mas observed Wltn BTOWlIlB
concern, distress and amaZement 1t
pointed to Germany's hitherto ex-
pressed humane and enlightened at
titude" in matters of international
right and expressed the hope that
submarine commanders engaged in
torpedoing peaceful ships without
warning were I'm such practices oper-
ating without the sanction of their
government The note closed with
those words
First Note Unsatisfactory
On May 2S. 1918, Germany replied
with note which ooverd a wide range
OF argument and was in svry respect
unsatisfactory,
While the American reply to was be-
ing framed. dissension in the cabinet
resulted in the resignation OF secre-
tary Bryan.
Meanwhile, several sensational incl
dents cropped up in connection with
the negotiations. chief of which was
the sending of a message to the Ber-
lin Foreign Office by DIR. Dumba, the
Austrian abassador later recalled at
the request of President Wilson, which
was represented as stating substantial
ly that Mr.. Bryan had intimated to the
ambassador that the vigorous tone Of
the American notes should not be re-
garded in Berlin as too warlike.
Secretary Lansing took office as Mr..
Bryan's successor and his reply to
the German note took issue with every
contention Germany had set up In the
Falaba and Lusitania cases
To that note, Germany did not reply
until July 8 and the German rejoinder
came no nearer to meeting the Amer
lean contentious than did the former
German note. In fact 1T discussed al
most everything else including the
Declaration of London, the British food
blockade of Germany, the sowing of
British mines the freedom of the seas
and made a counter proposal that both
countries agree upon certain num-
ber of neutral passenger steamers for
traffic between the United states and
Europe.
To that, the United states replied on
July 81 that the German note was
very unsatisfactory" because it failed
to meet the real differences between
the two governments"
Meanwhile the Arabic was sunk on
August 10. On September came the
first rift in the threatening Mtua-
ton. Count Won Bernstorff presented
this written assurance to Secretary
Lansingi
Gave AssuFaneeH
Liners will not be sunk by cur sub
marines without warning and without
safety of noncombatents, provided that
the liners do not try to escape or of
fer resistance"
More hopefulness was added to the
situation when on October E, the Ara
bic case was disposed of by Germany
disaVowing the sinking,
A favorable settlement of the long
and threatening controversy seemed to
he in sight when all the progress that
had been made was reduced to nothing
by Germany's declaration of a new
submarine policy of sinking without
warning all armed merchant ships
That precipitated a new situation so
vitally interviewer with the whole
structure of the Lusitania case that