The Clayton citizen. [volume] (Clayton, Union County, N.M.) 1906-19??, 1916-08-17
ADMINISTRATION
CONFESSES WEAKNESS
Lansing Acknowledges That
Lusitania Business Was All
"BaIIed Up" By Watch
full Waiting Policy

Washington.-St department Of
ficials today explained that the recent
request to the German embassy for
permission to publish one of Count
Won Bernstorff's notes on the settle
ment of the Lusitania case, was an
inadvertance. At first it was denied
that any such request had been made
but an investigation Of the depart
ment's files disclosed that letter pre-
pared by subordinate official had
been signed either by Secretary Lam
sing or Acting Secretary Polk and had
been transmitted to the German en-
bassy.
State department officials declared
that too much Importance had been
attached to the request in German Of
fetal quarters and that it was not, as
interpreted, an indication that Ger
many's proposals were to be accept
ed as satisfactory.
State department officials today
broke their silence on the subject and
asserted that what really happened
was this:
How it Happened
A subordinate official who assemblies
the diplomatic correspondence, wrote
the German embassy letter, which
Mr.. Polk admitted was signed either
by himself or by Secretary Lansing,
for permission to publish one of the
Lusitania notes submitted by the Ger
man ambassador on December A. The
embassy replied giving its assent
with the suggestion that the last note,
dated February 16, be published at
the same time. This suggestion was
not answered. On the other hand, the
suggestion that any of the correspOn-
dence be published was dropped at
once on the decision Of higher officials
that the circumstances which inter-
vened to prevent a conclusion Of the
negotiations had not been altered.
The embassy was not informed of
the changed plan. Word was sent to
Berlin that the note would be made
public here.
When information was received
here of the request to the embassy
and its reply, German embassy offic-
ials were questioned and they led in
quirers to believe they considered the
proceeding an indication of the i'm
pending acceptance of the latest Ger
man proposals. In fact it was stated
that the diplomatic relations between
the United States and Germany never
had been so satisfactory from theil
point of view since they were first
imperilled by submarine warfare.
IntimatiOns Unauthorized
This was supplemented further by
characterizing as absolutely unwar
ranted recent intimations from Ber
lin that underseas warfare was abou
to be resumed on its former scale
There was the added impression that
the United States had been convirccC
b. the abandonment of the submarine
campaign since the sinking of tho
channel liner Sussex, of the sincerit!
of Germany's declaration of accept
ance of the principles laid down, Up
on that showing they believed thu
state department was about to pub
lish the Lusitania correspondents will
an implication, at least, of its accept
ability.
This view of the situation was laiC
before Acting Secretary Polk Wednes
day as having been gained in German
official circles. Mr.. Folks reply wa'
refusal even to discuss the Lusitani'
case.
The United States government, i
therefore appears, does not conside,
the matter settled in any sense an!
more than it was last February.