The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-02-09
the LuSITANIl CASE.
GERNfANY'S REFUSAL TO ADMIT
VIOLATION OF LAW PROVES
GREAT OBSTACLE.

OANAfAI OD6xkAOHEs
Would Have America Accept Repara.
ton and Expression OF Regret With
Reservation in Favor OF Continuing
Submarine Campaign.
Washington, Feb. 4.-The one word
illegal as differently interpreted in
the United States and Germany pro-
trudes from the tentative draft of the
Lusitania agreement, perfected by Am
bassador Won Bernstorff and Secretary
Lansing. as the stumbling block which
has caused Berlin to refer to the ne
gotiations as having reached a crisis
and Washington to characterize the
situation as grave.
'Germany's answer. presented to Sec
retary Lansing today by Count Won
Bernstorff. 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
against continuing the submarine
campaign.
German officials believe that their
previous promise to discontinue sink
ing unresisting merchantmen without
warning brings the submarine CAM
paign within the pale Of international
law and that any inclusion Of that
phrase in the Lusitania agreement is
unnecessary and humiliating to the
imperial government.
The word illegal" in the draft the
German ambassador transmitted to his
government as meeting all the conten-
tions Of the United States is taken to
have been regarded In Berlin as being
susceptible Of application not to the
Lustiania case alone but to the entire
submarine warfare. That is the only
oxplanation which officials here can
ind for the statement of DR.. Zim-
lmetman. undersecretary Of foreign
affairs. that 1.-THE United States sud
Denly made new demands which it is
linlposstble for as to accept
Secretary Lansing declared today
TINT the position of the United States
ySs unchanged and the German am
haasador knew of no demand which
wss not embodied in the proposal he
|sSht to Berlin.
IL u known that the only change
ltkS Berlin foreign office has made in
the agreement il to substitute
Tor the word illegal e. phrase
(which. while assuming liability for
1.-THE lives OF neutrals lost on the Lusi-
ltahia does not admit OF constructions
Into prohibition Of submarine warfare.
THE dispatch the ambassador received
today and presented to the secretary
waas brief and covered only that one
point. Otherwise the document is un.
changed as 1t was drawn to meet all
the contentious Of the United States.
After the ambassadors visit to the
state department today. Secretary
Lansing declared. 'The situation is
unchanged"
That may authoritatively be stated
to represent the situation accurately.
Its status may remain so for four or
five days at least while President VIII
SON and Secretary Lansing consider
Germanys answer fully.
In like manner it may be stated
authoritatively either complete sat
isfactory settlement 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 cou-
pied with an assumption of liability
for the lives of neutrals lost on the
Lusitania will satisfy the United
States remains for the developments
of the next few days.
The American government in a re-
cent communication to all the bel
ligerents openly recognized the sub
marine as the factor which has
brought about great change in naval
warfare and which demands recog-
milton in international law.
One point emphasized today is that
any change Of whatever Character in a,
diplomatic document of such far
reaching Importance not only to the
coming developments Of the European
war. but possibly some time in the
future to the naval operations of the