The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-05
BERNSTORFF GETS NEW INSTRUCTIONS
 AND SEES LANSING
Instead of Admitting Illegal ity of Sinking of Lusitania Germany Proposes Ac- ceptance of Liability for American Deaths

Washington. February 1.-The one word, "iIIegal,, us differently inter- preted in the United States and Ger many protrudes from the tentative draft of the Lusitania agreement, perfected by Ambassador Won Berns- torff and Secretary Lansing as the stumbling block which has caused Bcr- lin to refer to the negotiations as hav- ing reached q crisis and Washington to cbaracterize the situation as grave.
 Germany's answer, presented to Secre- tary Lansing today by Count Von Bern storff proposes instead of an out-and-out admission of illegality of the method o1 submarine warfare used by the German naval authorities in sinking the liner, an acceptance of liability for the loss of neu- tral lives, which Berlin hopes will satisfy the United States and still not bind Ger many from continuing the submarine campaign.
 THINK TT UNMILITARY
 German officials believe that their pre- vious promise to discontinue sinking un- resisting merchantmen without warning brings the submarine campaign within the pale of international law and that any inclusion of that phase in the Lusl- tania agreement is unnecessary and hu- milia ting to the imperial government
 The word 'illegal' in the draft the Ger man ambassador transmitted to his gov ernment as meeting all the contentious or the United States, is taken to have been regarded in Berlin as being susceptible of application not to the Lusitania case alone but to the entire submarine cam paign.
 That is the oply explanation which of ficials here can find for the statement of foreign affairs, that the United States suddenly made new demands which it is impossible for us to accept"
 Secretary Lansing declared today that the position of the United States was unchanged and the German amb mbassador krew of no demands which were not embodied in the proposal he sent to Ser lin
 It is known that the other change the Berlin foreign office has made in the agreement drawn by the secretary and the ambassador is to substitute for the word Illegal a phrase which, while as- suming liability for the lives of neutrals lost on the Lusitania, does not admit of construction into prohibition of sub- marine warfare. The dispatch the am- bassador received today and presented to the secretary was very brief and cov- cred only that one point Otherwise the document is unchanged as it was drawn to meet all the contentious of the United States.
 NO CHANGE-LANSIN
 After the ambassadors visit to the state department today Secretary Lan- sing declared the situation is un changed"
 That may authoritatively be stated to represent the situation accurately. It had become no more grave and by that fact it has become no less grave. Its status has not materially changed and it may remain so for four or five days at least while President Wilson and Secretary Lansing consider Germany's answer fully. In a like manner it may be stated au- thoritatively that 1t does not follow that either completely satisfactory settle ment or an open break must follow at the end of that time. The negotiations may continue.
 Whether Germany's pledges, given after the sinking of the Arabic, coupled with ar assumption of liability for the lives \ of neutrals lost on the Lusitania will satisfy the United States, remains for I the developments of the next few days. N The American government, in recent communication to all the belligerents,
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