New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-21
The Conclusions Of the German
Note.

motto 20 Germany fails TO clear up the con-
fusions of thought so noticeable IN the lds'
tbroa paragraphs Of President wilson
.ddress 20 Congress. The reason IS SIM
ple. The last part of the address was al
most a literal transcript Of the last part
of the note. Both suffer, therefore, IRON
tho same defects lack Of clearness il
defining our case against Germany ana
IacL ~ nrecision in framing the demand
which we make for an alteration OF "eI-
many's policy.
Those defects have been conspicuous III
nearly all the Administrations correspond
,r,e with Berlin over the illegal and GRIM
,raI character of German submarine war
fare We started out all right IN inc
"strict accountability note OF feDruary
N 1918. In that communication our gov
eminent protested in advance against any
violations on Germany's part of neutral
rights or of the established rules OF war
fare at sea which might result IN the de-
,truction "of an American vessei or inc
lives Of American citizens
Here was a clear. hard -and-fast concep-
finn of our policy and duty. But IN the
6rst Iusitania note the President shifted
ground considerably. lie called the a''en-
tion Of the German Government with inc
utmost earnestness to the fact that the oD-
lection TO their present method OF attack
AGAINST the trade of their enemies mot
specifically against enemy merchantmen
carrying American passengers but against
all merchantmen lies in the practical I'M
possibility Of employing submarines IN
the destruction Of commerce without as
regarding those rules of fairness reason
Justice and humanity which all modern
opinion regards as imperative .
Manifestly submarines cannot be useo
AGAINST merchantmen, as the last 1e"
weeks have shown, without an ineVi'aDle
violation Of many sacred principles Of
Justice and humanity
II this meant anything. 1t meant that
the United States considered itself justified
In holding Germany TO account for sub
marine attacks on merchantmen, whether
those merchantmen carried American pas
sengers or not II was, in effect, de-
mand that Germany should abandon IN
conditionally her submarine campaign
against merchantmen.
In the second Lusitania note Chat Of
June 8, 1879 there was distinct recess
eion from this advanced position. Secre-
tary Lansing wrote: "The Government of
the United States confidently looks TO sec
the Justice and humanity of the Govern
ment of Germany indicated in all cases
tChere Americans have been tOronged or
their rights as neutruls tnvdded." Again
"The Government OF the United States
therefore deems It reasonable TO expect
that the Imperial German Government
will adopt the measures necessary TO put
these principles into practice in respect Of
the safeguarding Of American lives and
American ships, and asks assurances that
this will be DONE
Even in the first Lusitania note a para
graph had been incorporated which was
in conflict with the implications Of the
passages from that note which we have al
ready quoted. This contained the cele-
brated flourish about emitting no word or
act necessary to the performance Of the
sacred duty Of maintaining the rights
Of the United States and its citizens ana
Of safeguarding their free exercise and en-
joyment.'
From what the President and Secretary
Lansing said last summer It is impossible
to tell whether they were demanding a ces
sation Of submarine warfare on merchant
men under any and all circumstances OF
whether they were demanding its cessa
ton only IN cases in which the lives oil
American passengers might happen to be
imperilled.
II is equally impossible to decide thi;
' question after reading the latest note. The
same Inconsistencies crop out afresh. In
one paragraph the communication says:
at has become painfully evident TO
Il 1.-THE United States Government
That the position which it took at the
yery outset is inevitable. namely, the
use Of submarines for the destruction
Of an enemy's commerce Is Of neces-
sity, because of the very character Of
the vessels employed and the very
methods Of attack which their employ
nent Of course involves, utterly ncom-
patible with the principles Of human
ity, the long established and incontro-
vertible rights Of neutrals and the
sacred immunties Of NONCOMPLIANCE
But In the next paragraph II Is sal,
that tho United States will act agains
Germany only in case II is still Germany
purpose 70 prosecute relentless and in
ciseriminate submarine warfare no
\ submarine warfare Of any sort-agains
merchant vessels. And in the paragraph
following breaking OF Of diplomatic re
istions Is threatened unless the German