OCR Text |
Show COMMENTS ON GERMAN REPLY Disagreeable Impression Made in United States by Answer to President's Note. WORSE THAN EVASIVE Document Friendly, Gracious and Unsatisfactory Real Issue Is Ignored. New York Times. New York. May 81.- -The German reply is not responsive to our demand If does not promote that "clear and full understanding' as to a grave situation sit-uation which President Wilson In his note declared to be desirable The manner in which Berlin receives our representations in regard to the sinking of the Lusitania cannot fall to create a most disagreeable Impression Impres-sion in this country which the note's outward form of courtesy will not remove re-move New York World. The German note in response to the American protest against submarine attacks upon merchantmen does not meet the issue it is worse than evasive eva-sive It is insincere, even pettifogging. pettifog-ging. Regret will he felt everywhere in the United States that the affairs of a great people believed to he friendly have fallen into the hands of men capable of such desperate trifling. trif-ling. New York Tribune. Germany's answer to our govern ment's protest against the slaughter of Its citizens, peacefully and lawfully golnp about their business on the high seas, will not satisfy American opinion. Courteous on the surface as Herr von JagOw'a communication is. it does not strike the note which the Poe of this country hoped thai it would strike New York Press Berlin s answer to President Wilson's Wil-son's note is friendly, gracious and unsatisfactory The point as made unmistakable in Mr Wilson's note is that the von Tirpitz admiralty must slop slaughter of American citizens citi-zens whether In the case of a Gulf-llght Gulf-llght or a Lusitania. whether by pairs or by scores The Berlin foreign office speaks of a probably misapprehension misap-prehension "ii the part of our government govern-ment as to the real charactec of the Lusitania There is none; there could be none. New York Herald Germany has ignored the real issu.' presented by the American note of May 2. As was clearly set forth in that historic document, the attitude of tbe United States is not based on any one of the series of events cited, but upon the principle Involved in the method of warfare in which they were Incidents. The United States stands today the champion of neutral rights and non-combatant humanity In the case of Germany versus civilization civili-zation the United States holds a brief for civilization and will to the end Germany must respect the rights of non-combatants traveling upon the high seas. New York Herald. The reply of the German government govern-ment shows conclusively that Germany Germa-ny is most anxious to live at peace with America. That she desires to he shown where she is In the wrong is but natural and we think fair-minded fair-minded men will concede that, with the vessel being carried on navy list as an auxiliary cruiser, the presumption presump-tion is strong that German submarine officers thought her armed and ready to offer resistance Chicago Tribune. Even though, as Washington is confident, con-fident, it can be shown that the Lusitania Lusi-tania was not armed with guns or convoying soldiers. Germanv has succeeded In raising points which in consideration of the very advanced position po-sition taken by our government with respect to arbitration we should find some embarrassment in refusing to discuss and perhaps even referring to The Hague The unicago neraia. The American people regret that the German government's answer falls wholly to meet the main point at issue, is-sue, both the specific point of the slaughter of American citizens on the Lusitania and the general point of the "impossibility of employing submarines subma-rines in the destruction of commerce without disregarding rules of fairness, fair-ness, reason, justice and humanity", the established principles of international interna-tional law. St. Louis Republic. The most remarkable thing about this document is the array and extent of its silences. Its chief significance is not in the things put In, but in the things left out It ignores the whole fabric of international law and the rights of Americans on the high seas. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. No more unyielding a reply could have been written with proper regard for diplomatic amenities That the answer will not be satisfactory to the United States goes without saying. Omaha Bee. The kaiser's government is not willing will-ing to concede all the points raised by Mr. Wilson as essential necessary to the maintenance of the friendly relations. rela-tions. The diplomats of Wil-lulmstrasses Wil-lulmstrasses must have known the note would not be satisfactory. Fur-her Fur-her correspondence may serve to re-Heve re-Heve B situation that Just now seems serious. Chicago Staats Zeitung. The administration cannot honestly j dodge the questions raised by Germanv. Ger-manv. The German government doesj not deny responsibility for the sink ing of the Lusitania but wishes to determine the status of the ship, whether or not she was an auxiliary aux-iliary cruiser. Duluth Herald It Simply increases the necessity of : eeplng a tisht hold on personal feeling feel-ing and of giving the president a free field of American's position We know that It will be pointed and adequate. ade-quate. Milwaukee Sentinel. The German preliminary reply, therefore, 1b meant to open the way for further discussion, while scrupulously avoiding the appearance of opening the door of usual arrangement arrange-ment that will make for rights and safety of neutrals, while preserving Germany's right to avail herself fully of the means a her disposition to coin-hat coin-hat Britain's overwhelming preponderance prepon-derance of sea power. It would be preposterous to expect Germany to discontinue postively her use of submarines sub-marines against the commerce of the enemy. Chicago Journal. The claim that the l usitania was an armed vessel is an unmixed insult to the United States, which cleared the ship as a merchantman, hut the request for an investigation of circumstances cir-cumstances already known to the civilized civ-ilized world is as shifty as it is insolent. in-solent. Indianapolis Star. Level headed Americans will await the progress of events with calmness. If Germany has any facts or information informa-tion to justify her assumption that the Lusitania was armed or carried explosives she should be permitted to offer them. Louisville Courier-Journal. The German answer to the Amer-lean Amer-lean note is a quibble The time iB at hand when the president must meet the demands of his countrymen that nothing must happen to trail our majesty before any other majesty, and that the United States shall lay down to belligerents certain rights and laws cf neutrality which they shall be required re-quired to obey, If need be. by all the force we are able to put In the field. Less than this the country will not support. Germany Short of Diplomats. The Sioux City Tribune says: "Germany "Ger-many is short of diplomats The full text of her reply to the represents-1 tions of this government over the sinking of the Lusitania Is not only a palpable evasion of the Issues presented pre-sented In the Washington letter, but the general tone is flippant and unnecessarily, un-necessarily, if not intentionally, offensive. of-fensive. It puts in issue the truthful ness and the honor of the American government and of President Wilson as a man "It Is beneath tbe dignity of this government to carry on a correspondence correspond-ence with a nation using this tone and holding to this view of its duty to a civilized power, to say nothing of its treaty agreements "The intimation from Washington this morning is that President Wilson appreciates the insult that has been given to him and that this government govern-ment is prespared to make a reply within 48 hours. The president's next note should be in the form of a demand, de-mand, with the alternative of a severance sev-erance of diplomatic relations and such other action as the plan of this government may have In contemplation." contempla-tion." Philadelphia Inquirler The reply is temporizing in nature. It is a play for time; a studied effort to Involve this country in a meaningless and long drawn out discussion far afield trom the real point a' issue To put it plainly Germany is trifling with the United States. Philadelphia Press The text of Germany's replj to tho American Lusitania note Is exiremely unsatls factory. The reply does nor meet the Issue. It is clear that tho maintenance mainten-ance of friend relations with the Gorman government in the linht of the attitude which it has chosen to take, is going to be verj difficult Playing For Time Albany Knickerbocker Press The reply is deliberate! evasive it is an answer which purposely docs not silt-wer silt-wer Germany evidently is playing for time Des Moines (Iowai Tribune If the German contention Is right and the Lusitania was not only carrying arras and soldiers, contrary to the American Ameri-can rule for non-belligerents', but was j in fact armed to resist attack and 'looked upon as a part of the naval j defense, the situation is very different differ-ent than it would be If the ship was unarmed Profound Disappointment. Washington ( I ') Post Germa ny's failure to measure the depth of American feeling over the Lusitania ,i sn ill cause profound disappoint-. disappoint-. ment and uneasiness in the United States. The American people shrink with horror from the thought of going jto war with Germany, but if is not to be denied that the failure of Ger-I Ger-I many's military government to guarantee guar-antee the safety ot American lives at I sea arouses keen apprehension of fu-I fu-I ture happenings. Boston Herald. The reply of the Imperial German government to the note of President ; Wilson makes a very spacious presentation presen-tation of a ery bad case. II avoids 'and evades the main issue. The soon-'er soon-'er the president makes clear that we I have no time to waste in the ascertainment ascer-tainment of what our rights are, the ! better It will be all arouud president's Note Answered. Indianapolis Daily Telegraph-Trlb une (German) We believe that the German government has answered ev ery question In the president's note except one. and that one It desires further Information. Pittsburg Gazette-Times The lives jand rights of American citizens cannot can-not legitimately be construed as contingent con-tingent upon a readjustment of war conditions to meet the necessities of Germany Cincinnati Freie Presse The German Ger-man note is courteous In tone. The note does not say that the American Amer-ican position Ie untenable It merely j demands that the facts in the case be first established. It takes the good old American view that the complainant com-plainant must bring forth the evidence of the guilt of the accused. Detroit Journal Without despair ing of final agreement one is obliged to regard the German reply as unsatisfactory Scarcely shall we quibble over the reasonableness or unreasonableness un-reasonableness -of the Bltua,tiou. The American people are not disposed to be reasonable where the lives of theh-fellow theh-fellow citizens are concerned. The placing of an embargo on all munitions muni-tions of war. all food, all passenger travel with all belligerent countries will best Insure us that safety and peace which wo desire. i I iiiisi I |