Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-10
WILSON WILL HOLD
KAISER TO PLEDGE
IN U-bOAT WARFARE
To Confer With Lansing
To-Day Concerning Raids
Off American Coast.
ATTACKS FRAUGHT WITH
GRAVE POSSIBILITIES
Position of American Govern
ment Made Clear in Statement
Given Out by President.
BERNSTORFF At long BRANCH
Tic Is Informed That United States
VIII Act Firmly if RI
Arc Infringcd.
'EHNsToRrF AT LONG BRANCH
TIC is informed That United States
VIII .tct Firmly il RI
trc Infringctl.

Lone; ERAN,II Y ,n..ohc- q
Secretary LansIu- was announced
Tonight. Will co,n' e tomorrow for
conferences W. resident Wilson
,o'''ti h'hS 'cih. l''narinc raids OF
nv ''''h 90 Mr.. lansing is
cAPe''c" 10 NIh" overnight at tho
Presidents sumnc. residence
The announcement ,hnt tho Sacr,
tarN OF State woul. confer with tb
President conveyed the imnress;on
gained here eariic. in the day thai
the American government considered
III" attacks on vessels off the Ameri-
can coast by German, submarine as
'ra"Sht with grave possibilities AT
the same time. II was made clear that
therc is nothing in the reports SO far
received TO show that international law
or the earlier promises of Germany
nave been violated. Concern over tho
situation centercd chiefly abont tho
possibility of what might happen If
the submarine attacks are continued
POSITION or GOVERNMENT
MADE CLEAR BY WILSON
The position of the American gov
ernment and its determination to make
a fuil investigation before acting WINS
made clear in the following statement
given out by the President:
The government will, of course, first
inform itself as to all the facts that
there may be no doubt or mistake az
far as they are concerned
rho country may rest assured that
the German government will be held
to the complete fulnllment Of its prom
iscs to tho government of the Unite,,
states. / have no right now to oues-
tion its willingness to fulfill them."s
~ Count Won Bernstorfr, the Gerniaff
ambassador. who came here to-day to
give the President Il personal letter
from the German Emperor on Polish
relief. discussed with President Wilson
the new activities of German subma.
rincs. 1t was understood that the
President made 1T clear that. while the
American government had no intention
OF interfering with tho legitimate
activities Of submarines. It would In.
sist on the strict observance of the
pledges given previously by the Ger.
man government.
AMBASSADOR WITHOUT
OFFICIAL INFORMATION
The ambassador, while expressing
an entire lack OF Official information
from his government on the new sub.
marine attacks. said that Germany had
promised to conduct her submarine
warfare In accordance with tho rules
of cruiser warfare.
The amba ssador remained with th4
President only fifteen minutes, and
was smiling when he left He declared
he was RS much surprised rs anybody
when the news of tho sinking of tho
first British ship reached him.
1t is understood that the talk be.
tween the President and tho ambns.
sador was entirely friendly. but that
the President informed tho ambassador
OF his determination to act firmly il
tho rights OF the United States are in.
frnGcd
Tho President had seriously consid.
cred going to Brooklyn to o-morrow 10
attend the third world seros baseball
game, but decided TO remain here and
keep III touch with the submarine sit.
uation.
Before seeing Secretary Lansing tho
President will confer with Jules JUS
scrand. the French ambassador, who 4,
coming TO Shadow Lawn to bring a
personal letter from President pon.
care. OF France, to President Wilson
on Polish relief.
MAY LAY ENTENTE VIEW
BEFORE THE PRESIDENT
II is considered probable that during
the conference the French ambassador
may lay before the President the view
OF the entente governments that Ger.
man submarines should not he allowed
to como into American ports This
point probably will be taken up by tho
President with Secretary Lansing to-
morrow night.
During the day the executive Offices
here were in communication with Sec.
retary Daniels. and received prclim-
nary reports assembled by tho Navy
Department on the submarine activi-
ties off the American coast.
The general trend of these reports
WAS to the effect that. so far as had
been determined the rules OF interna-
tional law had been complied with by
Germany. 1t was made clear. however,
that these reports were OF prelimi-
nary character. and were not conclu-
sivc. Secretary Daniels was instructed
to keep the President fully Informed
of all Developments.
Count Won Bcrnstorff said he planned
to return to Washington tonight or
tomorrow, going by way of Now York.
II was stated by officials here that tho
subject OF peace was not mentioned
at his conference with tho President
MANY POSSIBILITIES
OF COMPLICATIONS
WASHINGTON. October $50 much
depends upon President Wilson'S dc.
csion regarding the German subma-
rnc operations in tho Western Al.
lantic. and there arc so many nosoi-
bilitics OF complications if the u.boas
proceeds, that officials here