The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-08
BERLIN ADVISES


,Ccr'-4e3 %fpn1 Fiat PaSs>
tending hat her assurances not TO
sink liners in the Uar zore without
giving warning and safeguarding the
lives of passengers and crew in itself
constituted dlsaVowal. and the
United States stardine ont FOR an Alb
solute dIsavoNal in words
Issue Nearer Settlement
In the opinion of persons close 10
the government. the ueR proposals
submitted by Germany has brought
the issue nearer scttien emit and the
prediction was made IN these quarters
that a satisfactory agreement will be
reached after one OF 'swr more con-
ferences between the ambassador and
and Secretary Lansing
IN the memorandum which the
German AMBASSADOR delivered 10 the
State Department today Germany goes
further in the way OF giving assurances
than in any previous communication.
She promises fatty 10 observe every
item OF international law in her sub
maj inc operations in the Mediter-
ranean. and declares that instructions
| to that effect we're given to her sub
marine commanders. In her previous
assuranCes affecting the so-Called war
zonc Germany promised merely that
liners would not be sunk without
wa ming and without Safeguarding the
IiXes of the passengers, In The Medi-
terrarean Germany pledges herself
not 10 sink freight as well as pas
Seuger vessels until after the crews
and others have been put in places OF
safety.
No Rcprisals Authorized.
The difference Germany points out
tina: IN the case Of submarine opera
lions in the war zone she has been
obliged to adopt methods OF reprisais,
whereas IN the Mediterranean no such
+ conditions exist The United States
never has accepted the German con-
iention that submarine operations ia
thu LatMEe Of Ienriaals exempted -her
from the obligations Of international
law, and this government still insists
that, Germany has no right to sink
freight vessels without warning and
safeguarding the lives of passengers
and brew.
The presenting Of the memoran-
dunn on submarine warfare i'm the
Mediterranean is regarded by diplo-
mates as clever move. IN taking this
action Germany has forestalled any
NOV. that the United States may have
had in mind in the way of address
ing an identic note toi the central
powers ealing for more satisfactory
assurances on the methods of suhma-
rne warfare. Germany will now have
the advantage of having come for
ward with assurances as regards the
Persia In advance II the-fact should
be esta hlshed that n Germany sub
marine sank the Persia, Germany
also would be in the position of hay
ing disaYowed the act in advance and
promised to punish the Submarine
commander.
Har Case 10 Prove.
As matter of fact, ii looks more
7 and more each day as If tho I nited
states never would be able 10 prove
that a submarine sank the Persia. The
state Department heard today from
the Consuls At Cairo, Malta and Mar
settles that they had got no evidence
from passengers that would establish
the fact that the Persia was sent TO
the bottom by submarine. The
American consul at Alexandria also
has sent In all the affidavts he was
able TO get and none Of them contains
sufficient evidence on which to build j
case.
. Ambs ssador Penfield, Mt Vienna.
vienna. also reported today that the
Austrian admiralty had informed him
that il had no Information in regard
to the sinking OF the Persia Efforts
OF the nted States to obtain evil
The only scntila of evidence that
the state Department has been able TO
obtain Is the statement of the second
officer nf the Persia that he saw what
he thouEht was the wake Of n tor
pedo. state Department officials say
this statement unsupported, will not
be efhclent TO establish case.
Reach No Conclusion.
The President and his cabinet CON
sidcred the submarine situation ut
todays meeting, but they camc to no
conclusion. It was learned afterward
that The conduct Of this government
for the present VIII depend entirely
on The facts obtained IN the case of
the Persia. If the state Department Is
unable to establish that a torpedo
sank the Persia il is likely that no new
move will be made
If, however, Secretary Lansing sue
ceeds ia obtaining evidence that
proves the Persia WAS DESTROYED 10y q
torpedo this government will address
Al note to Germany, Austria and Tur-
kew demanding that they Subscribe
80 certain principles ard rules for the
conduct Of their submarine opera