Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-05-17

accomplished Dy personal contact.
documents.
Destruction Continued.
Meanwhile the Arabic was sunk on
August 10. It seemed that the United
States and Germany had reached the
point of a break. Then. on September
1. came a rifle in the threatening Sit
uation. Count Won Bernstorff present
ed this written assurance to Secretary
Lansing:
Liners will not be sunk by our sub
marines without warning and without
safety of noncombatants. provided that
liners do not try to escape or offer re-
S%iStance."
The United States IA all along con-
tended not for the safety of liners
alone. but for the immunity of all
peaceful merchant vessels. The word
liners was the completing point in
Germany's assurances and a complete
agreement on what it actually meant
never was reached.
More h%opefulness was added to the
situation when on October 5 the Arabic
case was disposed of by Germany dis
avowing the sinking and giving re-
newed assurances that submarine COM
manders had again been instructed to
avoid repetition of the acts which pro-
voked American condemnation.
With that, the negotiations reverted
to the Lusitania case. Negotiations
were delayed by a seeming deadlock
over the words In which Germany had
acknowledged the %illegality of the de-
struction of the liner. Germany, un-
willing to use the word Illegal" sub
stituted a declaration that "reprisals
must not be directed at others than
enemy subjects"
I A formal communication, including
such a declaration and expressing re-
greet for loss Of American lives, assum-
ing liability and Offering reparation in
i the form of Indemnity woS S,lhnofffod
to Secretary Lansing.
A favorable settlement Of the con-
troversy seemed in sight when all prog
ress was reduced to nothing by Ger
many's declaration of new submarine
policy OF sinking without warning all
armed merchant ships.
Ihat precipitated a new situation.
President Wilson declined to close the
l~Ausitania situation, while the other
issue was pending, n there. the whole
matter rested while German submarine
warfare was continued and new cases
Involving loss OF American lives piled
up
Tho Final Blow.
Finally h accumulation Of evidence
reached such proportions with the de-
struction of the Sussex that President
Wilson dispatched another note to
Germany and went before congress. re-
viewed the entire situation made
this declaration:
II have deemed it my duty to say
to the imperial German government
1hat II 1T Is still it's purpose to prose
cute relentless and indiscriminate war
rare. the government of the United
States Is at last forced to the conclu-
sion that there is but one course to
pursue. and that unless the imperial
German government should now, inn
mediately, declare and effect an aband-
onment of Its present methods OF war
tare gatns passenger and freight
carrying vessels. this government can
have no choice but to sever diplomatic
relations altogether"
1t will be noted that the president
passenger n freight carrying ves-
sells"
The wording Of the note to Germany
was almost Identical with the fore
going passage.
Reviewing the relentless submarine
campaign the last note declared:
mo limit Of any kind has in fact
been set to the indiscriminate pursuit
and destruction of merchantmen of all
kinds and nationalities within the
waters constantly extending where
these operations have been carried on;
lost their lives on ships thus attacked
ana destroyed has grown month by
month until the ominous toll has
mounted into the hundreds.
Again and again the imperial Ger
mar government has given this gov
least passenger ships would not be
thus dealt with, and yet 1T has again
and again permitted it's under sea COM
manders to disregard those assurances
with entire impunity."
me president dispatched the note
on the night of April Is, and addressed
congress the following day. Since then
the German reply has been awaited.