Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-02-05
Negotiations in Lusitania
Case Again Said to Be
Critical
BERLIN TAKES STAND
Note Delivered BY Bernstorff Believed
in Washington TO Create Grave
Situation.

Washington, Feb. 5. = The one
word illegal" as differently inter
prete9 in the United States and Ger
many, protrudes from the tentative
draft of the Lusitania agreement per-
fected by Ambassador Won Bernstorff
and Secretary Lansing, as the stumo-
ling block which has caused Berlin
to refer to the negotiations as having
reached a crisis and Washington to
characterize the situation as grave.
Germany's answer, presented to
Secretary Lansing yesterday by
Count. Won Bernstorff, proposes, in
stead of an outand-out admission Of
illegality of the method of sumarine
warfare used by the German naval
authorities in sinking 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
thu submarine campaign.
German officials believe that their
previous promise to discontinue sink
ing unresisting merchantmen with
out warning brings the submarine
campaign within the pale of interna-
tionaE law and that any inclusion of
i that phase in the Lusitania agreement
is unnecessary and humiliating to the
Imperial Government.
The word "illegal' in the draft the
Germany Ambassador transmitted to
his Government as meeting ali the
contentious of the United States is
taken to have been regarded in Ber-
lin as being susceptible to applica-
ton not to the Lusitania case alone,
but to the entire submarine cam
paign.
That is the only eXplaation which
officials here can find for the state
ment of DR.. Zimmerman. Under Sec
retary of Foreign Affairs, that "the
United States suddenly made new de-
mands which it is impossible for US to
accept"
Secretary Lansing declares that the
position of the United States is un-
changed, and the German Ambassador
knew. of no demands which were 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 w the Secretary
and the Ambassador is to substitute
for the word "illegal" a phrase which.
while assuming liability for the liv-
es of neutrals lost on the Lusitania,
does not admit of construction into
prohibition of submarine warfare.
The dispatch the Ambassador re-
ceived and presented to the Secre-
tary was very brief and covered only
that one point. Otherwise the docu'
ment is unchanged, as it was drawn
to meet all the contentious of the
United States.
After the Ambassadors visit tt
the State Department yesterday Sec
rotary Lansing declared "the situation
is unchanged"
That may authoritatively be state,
to represent the situation accurately
1t had become no more grave, ard b.
that fact it has become no less grave
It's status has not materially change'
and it may remain so for for or fiv
days at least while President Wilso
and Secretary Lansing consider Ger
manyS answer fully.
In a like manner, it may be state
authoritatively that it does not folloN
that either completely satisfactor
settlement or an open break must fol
low at the end of that time The negc
tiations may continue.
Berlin via London, Feb. 5.--Infol
nation indicates that under no ci
cnmstances will Germany admit thu
the sinking of the Lusitania was 6
illegal act.
The new. instructions forwarded
Ambassador Won Bernstorft, accordiI
70 this information, contain simp
,,l,r.ae Of the nav formulation