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Show Kaiser Yields to AH the Demands of United States. WARFARE IS CHANGED Non-Combatants Are to be Allowed to Seek Safety. Washington, Sept. 1. Germany has accepted the declarations of the United States in the submarine warfare war-fare controversy. Count Von Bernstorff, Bern-storff, the German ambassador, today gave oral and written assurances to Secretary Lansing that no more passenger pas-senger ships will be sunk without warning. After a conference at the state department. de-partment. Ambassador Vpn Bernstorff sent Secretary Lansing this letter. "My dear Mr. Secretary With reference ref-erence to our conversation of this morning, I beg to inform you that my Instructions concerning our answer to your last Lusitanla note contains the following passage" " "Liners will not be sunk by our submarines without warning and without safety of the lives of the non-combatants, provided that the liners lin-ers do not try to escape or offer re i sistance.' "Although I know that you do not wish to discuss the Lusltania question till the Arabic incident has been definitely def-initely and satisfactorily settled, I desire de-sire to inform you of the above because be-cause this policy of my government was decided on before the Arabic Incident In-cident occurred. "I have no objection to your making any use you may please of tho above information. "I remain, my dear Mr Lansing, Very sincerely yours. (Signed) "J. BERNSTORFF," In connection with the letter. Secretary Sec-retary Lansing made the following statement: "In view of the clearness of the foregoing statement, It seems needless need-less to make any continent on it other than to say that It appears to be a recognition of the fundamental principle prin-ciple for which we have contended." Forwarded to Wilson. Count Von Bernstorff's letter was forwarded to President Wilson as soon as it was received at the state department. No formal comment was made at the White House, but on every hand In official quarters there was evidence of gratification that the submarine crisis had passed and that Germany had acknowledged the justice of the principles lor which President Wilson has been contending. Count Bernstorff's announcement that the policy had been decided upon up-on before the sinking of the Arabic, agrees with statement by official's In Berlin and with information upon which American officials had been depending. Soon after the dispatch of the last Lusitanla note, President Wilson understood there would not be another such disaster. Tho sinking of the Arabic, therefore, came as a double shock. Circumstances Not Known. Inasmuch as It seems to have been established that the submarine which sunk tho Arabic has been destroyed by a British patrol boat, the exact circumstances may never be determined deter-mined other than by testimony from British and American sources. Tho German government's statement state-ment that, before tho sinking of tho Arabic, the submarino commander had boon ordered to sink no more passenger shlp3 without warning may be taken as a disavowal of that act Next Is Reparation . The question of reparation for tho Americans who loot their lives on tho Lusitanla, the Arabic and other ships which havo been torpodoed, probably will be tho next step in tho proceeding. proceed-ing. Secrotary Lansing has steadfastly stead-fastly refused to discuss the Lusitanla caso with the German ambassador until un-til the Arabic incident was disposed of. Now, It Is believed tho way has been opened for considering the Lusitanla. Lusi-tanla. Apparently the American government govern-ment has accepted tho German declaration dec-laration as meeting Its attitude to-vard to-vard the treatment of all neutral shipping as well as passenger carrying carry-ing vessels. Count Von Bernstorff in his letter, referred to liners, and In Gorman quarters that was construed as meaning all non-combatant-passenger ships. At the state department the German ambassador's letter was considered as covering all the American Amer-ican government has contended for that peaceful merchantmen must not be sunk without warning, or without with-out visit and search, and opportunity for non-combatants to escape. Now England's Turn. It is generally acknowledged that in making concessions to tho United States, Germany expects President Wilson to rqnew his representations to Great Britain against interferences with neutral trade. The president has steadfastly declined to conduct one negotiation In a relation to thp other, taking tho position that the diplomatic diplomat-ic negotiations of the United' States wih one belligerent could not be conditioned con-ditioned on its relations with another. The new American note to Great Britain making representations against the restriction imposed by the orders in council is almost ready to go forward to London. Count Von Bernstorff believes that a formal statement from Berlin 'only remains to settle the entire controversy contro-versy between the two countries. Germany cannot admit on partial evidence, it was stated, that the Arabic was sunk by a German submarine sub-marine but it is confidently believed that whatever develops the imperial government will give concrete assurances assur-ances corresponding to the genoral statements already made that the Arabic was not destroyed in accordance accord-ance with any plan or desire of the German admiralty. Today's declaration it is said, in German quarters, stands without amendment or restriction, and is felt to be In complete compliance with the demands of the United States. It was freely admitted, however, that the German government will avail itself it-self of President Wilson's offer of cooperation co-operation in a discussion of the question ques-tion of the freedom of the seas. |