Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-05-06
A Comprehensive Review of
Administrations Defense of
Humanity and Neutral RigL IS
Showing Where It Has Led us

accomplished by personal contact
which was lost in cold exchange o.
documents.
Meanwhile the Arabic was sunk on
Aug. 19. Coming close on the unsuc-
cessful Lusitania negotiations and a
continuation of submarine attacks in
which Americans bad suffered, 1t
seemed that the United States and
Germany had at least reached the
point of break. Then, on Sept. l.,
came the first rift in the threatening
situation. Count Won Bernstorff pre-
sented this written assurance to Sec
retary Lansing: Liners will not be
sunk by our submarines without warn
ing and without safety of non combat
ants. provided that the liners do not
try to escape or offer resistance"
The United States had agreed all along
that ships hailed for visit and search by
war vessel took a risk IL they ATTEMPT.
ed to flee, but 1t contended not for the
safety Of liners" alone, but for the i'm.
munity of all peaceful merchant vessels
The word liners was the completing
point in Germany's assurances and a
complete agreement on what it actually
meant never was finally reached.
More hopefulness was added to the sit
uatlon when, on Oct. s. the Arabic case
was disposed Of by Germany disavowine
the sinking and giving renewed assur-
ances that submarine commanders had
been again instructed to avoid repetition
OF the acts which provoked American con-
demnation
With that the negotiations reverted 70
the Lusitania case. Germany already
mad agreed to pay indemnity for Ameri-
can lives lost, but the negotiations were
delayed by seeming deadlock over the
words In which Germany should acknowl.
edge the illegality of the destruction of
the liner: Germany, unwilling to use the
word Illegal" substituted a declaration
that reprfsals must not be directed at
others than enemy subjects"
A formal communication including such
declaration and expressing regret for
loss OF American lives, assuming ,,ahu.
ity and Offering reparation in the form ~
indemnity, was submitted to Secretary
Lansing.
All Progress Nuliified
A favorable settlement Of the long and
threatening controversy seemed to he In
sight when all the progress that had
oeen made was reduced to nothing bv
Germany's declaration Of a new subma !.
rine policy OF sinking without warning al,
armed merchant ships. That precipitated
new situation SO vitality interwovan
with the whole structure OF the I.us,+.-
MIA case that President Wilson declines
to close the Lusitania settlement wb;,o
the other issue was pending. Meanwb;,o
German submarine warfare was contir-
ued.
President Addresses cenare..
Finally the accumulation Of evidenc.
reached such proportions with the da-
struction Of the Sussex that President
Wilson dispatched another note to Ger
many and went before Congress and
made this declaration:
I have deemed it my duty to s.v
to the Imperial German eovernmert
that IL it is still its purpose to prose.
cute relentless and indiscriminate war
rare the government Of the United
states is at last forced to the conc,u.
sion that there is but one course r.
can pursue; and that. unless the I'M
perlal German government should now
Immediately. declare and effect an
abandonment of it's present methods NJ
warfare against passenger and freight
carrying vessels. this government can
have no choice but to sever diplomat
ic relations altogether"
The wording of the note to Germany.
which was dispatched April is, was al
most identical with the foregoing pas
sage.
During all the negotiations the Ber-
lin foreign Office has looked to Count
Won Bernstorn to prevent a break. His
attitude has been represented as pro-
pitiatory from the viewpoint Of the
United States and opposed to subma-
rine warfare Of Won Tirpitz.
On several occasions he is said to
have warned his Emperor personally
that continuance of the warfare
against which the United States pro-
al