Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1916-04-12
Submarine Issue Between
Germany and United
States Discussed In All
Phases BY President and
His Department Heads
STILL AWAITING
GERMANY'S NOTE
1t Is Known She Will DENY
ANY German Submarine
Tolpedoed Sussex and
Disclaim All Blame for
Several Other Attacks
Republican A. P. Leased Wire1

WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE sub
marine issue between Germany and
the United States was discussed in all
its phases today AT "A meeting of Presi
dent Wilson and his cabinet.
general outline of the future
course of the American government is
understood to have been agreed upon,
although final decision was post
poned pending receipt of the German
note now on its way regarding the
Sussex and other merchant ships which
recently have met disaster and addi-
tional evidence in the same cases col
lected by American diplomats and due
here THURSDAY.
1t is known through confidential ad-
vices from Ambassador Gerard that the
note from Berlin will deny that any
German submarine torpedoed the Sus-
sex and dsclaim blame in connection
with other attacks about which the
ambassador has inquired. Conse-
quently in spite of the convincing evi-
dence in the hands of the state depart
ment, any reply that may be sent
probably will not deal exclusively
with any one case or group Of cases.
If such d communication as now con-
templated is sent to Germany it viii be
designed to preclude the possibility of
further drawn out diplomatic ex-
changes and to make il plain that re-
iterated assurances and promises that
international law Will be respected
cannot protect the friendly relations
between the two countries if Illegal at .
tacks upon peaceful merchantmen
carrying Americans are continued. 1t
probably will include a resume of all
the many vessels attacked from the
time of the Lusitania down to the
present.
The state department already has
begun the collection of evidence COW
| ering the whole history of Germany g
| submarine operations one of the
questions discussed at length by cab
| met members today was whether the
United States should include in its list
! of vessels attacked neutral ships car
| rying no Americans. An argument
| against doing this was that such yes
! sells carry the flags of sovereign ma
| tions able to speak for themselves, but
| the preponderating view was that they
| should be included both on the ground
| that many were going to or coming
from American ports, and on the
broad ground of humanity.
| Colonel +. NJ. House. the president
| close adviser came to the White
! House today for the fourth time since
! he returned from Europe as the
| emisSary of the president to inyeSti-
gate the submarine and other foreigr
| questions. He was in conference dur
| ing the day with the president ant
| other officials. His return at the tim,
when it was admitted the policy of th,
| American government was about to be
| determined was considered significant
| IT is understood that the Unitet
Estates still has much evidence to gath
er before d decisive step is taken
| While the general tenor of the German
note has been anticipated BY advice
from Ambassador Gerard, official
realize that it's text may have an i'm
| portant bearing upon the American
policy. The note is understood to re
| leT not only 10 tflP SUSSEX. tne mos
| important Of recent cases, but to tn
| Englishman, Manchester Engineer
| Eagle Point and Berwindale.
The cabinet remained in sessio
more than two hours today and practi
| cally the entire time was devoted to
| discussion of the submarine ISSUE
| Later it was said the members stoo
as a unit in believing that the recen
accumulation of attacks on vessel
! without warning coming after a perio
of comparative lull in submarine ac
tivity could not be overlooked.
II was appreciated that much of TIL
evidence under consideration had com
not from American sources but frol
statements made by citizens of ma
tons at war with Germany. For thu
reason the evidence is beng very care
fully examined. 1t is realized, too tha
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