The midland journal., 1916-02-11
GERMANY BA[KS
At WORD ILLEGAL :
Negotiations in Lusitania Case
Again Critical.
SEEKING 70 AVOID A BREAK
Berlin Declares Its Stand Is Final.
Note Delivered BY Bernstorff
Admittedly Creates Grave
Situation.

Washington.-The one word Ell
legal" as differently interpreted in the
United States and Germany, protrudes
from the tentative draft of the Lusi-
tania agreement, perfected by Ambas-
sador Won Bernstorff and Secretary
Lansing, as the stumbling block which
has caused Berlin to refer to the nego-
tiations as having reached a crises and
Washington to characterize the situa-
ton as grave
New Concession offered.
Germany's answer, presented to Sec
retary Lansing by Count Won Bern
storff, proposes, instead of an out-and-
out admission of illegality of the
method of submarine warfare used by
the German naval authorities in sink
ing the liner. an acceptance of liability
for the loss of neutral lives, which
Berlin hopes will satisfy the United
States and still not bind Germany from
continuing the submarine campaign.
German officials believe that their
previous promise to discontinue sink
ing lNlresisting merchantmen without
warning brings the submarine cam
paign within the pale of International
law and that any inclusion of that
phase in the Lusitania agreement is
unnecessary and humiiiating to the
Imperial Government.
The word illegal" in the draft the
German Ambassador transmitted to
his Government as meeting all the con-
tentions of the United States is taken
to have been regarded in Berlin as be-
ing susceptible of application not to
the Lusitania case alone, but to the
entire submarine campaign.
Demand Called "impossible."
That is the only explanation which
officials here can find for the state
ment of DR.. Zimmerman, Under Secre
tary of Foreign Affairs, that ''the
United States suddenly made new de-
mands which it is impossible for us to
accept"
Secretary Lansing declared that the
position of the United States was un-
changed, and the German Ambassador
knew of no demands which we're not
embodied in the proposal he sent to
Berlin.
It is known that the only change
the Berlin Foreign Office has made in
the agreement drawn by the Secretary
and the Ambassador is to substitute
for the word illegal phrase which,
while assuming liability for the lives
of neutrals lost on the Lusitania, does
not admit of construction into prohi-
bition Of submarine warfare.
Brief Note Sent.
The dispatch the Ambassador re-
ceived and presented to the Secretary
was very brief and covered only that
one point Otherwise the document is
unchanged, as it was drawn to meet
all the contentious of the United
States.
After the Ambassadors visit to the
State Department Secretary Lansing
declared ~the situation is unchanged"
That may authoritatively be stated
to represent the situation accurately
1t had become no more grave, and by
that fact it has become no less grave.
It's status has not materially changed
and it may remain so for four or five
days at least while President Wilson
and Secretary Lansing consider Ger
many's answer fully.
In like manner, it may be stated
authoritatively that it does not follow
that either completely satisfactory
settlement or an open break must fol
low at the end of that time. The nego-
tiations may continue.