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The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1595203
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THE NEW CRISIS
No Fresh Development
Americans Remain Calm
LONDON, Feb. 6.
The outstanding feature of Sunday in New York was the quietness which pre- vailed among the crowds in the streets.
There xvns a marked absence of démon- strations and flag-waving, anil, in fact, little to indicate that such a serious crisis existed. The Sunday newspapers were eagerly read, but there xvns no excitement, nor was there any disorder in the many German restaurants. The news from Washington current on Broadway was to the effect that there was no change in the situation, which was cleared by the re- moval of the Ilousnlonic as an issue.
There xvas evidence at Washington, however, of preparation for the possibility of xvar. The Secretary to the Navy (Jil". Josephus Daniels) will ask Congress for authority to commandeer ammunition equipment plants, and already the Senate has approved of billa to facilitate dealing with spica in naval yards and in forts and arsenals under the protection of the navy. The publication of Naval Orders has been terminated. ,
United States ambassadors abroad have had informal conversations with neutral Go- vernments willi n view to their co-opom tion with America in vindicating the rights of neutrals at sea.
I The "Central News Agency" states that Mr. J. W. Gerard, the United States Am- bassador to Germany, xvho has been re- cul led, is already on his way back to Now
York.
It also announces that the United Slates Ambassador to Great Uritnin (Mr. W. Ii. Page) has been instructed to regard him- self no longer ns watching the interests of Germany in that country.
The American State department is asking Great liri tain for a safe conduct for Count Von Bcrnstorff.
United States Feeling.
Recent Visitor's Impression.
A special correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle," who recently arrived in New York, comparoB the American temper with that of Great Britain in August, 1014.
"There is," bo says, "a stränge dramatic resemblance to the culnmess, resolution, and i restraint of Great Britain. li docs not mean lukewarmness, for Americuns ure under no illusions. The country's unity is equally remarkable. The vast majority of
the German Americans avow Americanism. The solidarity of the nation ia a tribute to
President Wilson's policy and patience. If xvar ensues America will fight with a whole souled intensity which «ill probably amaze Germany."
| The correspondent authoritatively stoics j that European neutral countries had not | approached the United States up to Sun j day, nor bad the United States approached
j them.
Is Germany Yielding ?
A message received in New Yoik from ¡Berlin on Sunday night announced that Americans taken prisoner on captured steamers have been released.
The following cable message appeared in the second edition of "The Argus'' on Mon-
day:
l!erm«iy han officially announced nn nllr-rallon o< l.r-r l.loc-.ado of tin-land. Hie will allow neutrals ii draiinc 20 kilometres (1. mil») wide west of
|d_Mr ¿__? ' bCtWCCn "'° BrU'8" a"d 0iman
SUNKEN AMERICAN SHIP.
(S.S. Housatonic Was Warned.
The United States Consul at Plymouth (Mr. J. G. Stephens) announces that the American steamer Ilousnlonic, which was sunk by a German submarine, was vvuincd
before the attack. .
Keceipt of tilia news has greatly relieved the tension at New York.
Mr. Stephens reports that all the crow of 37 were rescued by the submarine, which towed the boats containing thom a dis- tance of 00 miles towards the land.
Lloyd's confirm the news that the captain and crew have landed safely.
The Housatonic was sunk hi the English Channel at midday on Saturday. She wua flying the United States flag, and the Ameri- can colours were prominent on her sides.
The subrunrinc's commander gave the crew an hour in which to leave the ehip. Before sinking the vessel, a boarding parly from the submarine searched her tho- roughly, but they only Carried off a quantity
of soap.
'the commander of the submarine said that he had orders to sink every ship.
GERMANY'S OBJECT.,
Statement by Chancellor.
In diplomatic circles in Stockholm it is | slated that at the Beeret conference between
the Imperial German Chancellor (Dr. Von
|Bcthmnnn-Holhveg) and the Reichstag
leudéis the latter inquired whether the re- sults of the new submarine policy would compensate in the possibility of America's hostility. Dr. Von Bethmann-TIolhveg re- plied:
"If the blockade Bitccecds it will succeed in a limited number/ of
weeks, during wliich America cannot |
effectively participate. The Ger- man Admiralty calculates that the world tonnage is reaching the mini- mum compatible with the Allies con- tinuing Hie war. It is liue that America is able to turn out muni- tions and soldiers indefinitely, but these can only be expoiled by jeo- pardising the armies and peoples of the Allies and their own shortage of tonnage."
Boastful Provincial Journal.
Up to the present the only German com- ment which lins reached Rotterdam con- cerning America's action is Unit of the Dusseldorf "General Anzieger,'" which de
ilnrcs:-"Germany has nothing to fear. It is impossible for America to give the Allies any military nhsistancc worth mentioning. Tlie loss of the intrrncd Gcnnnn ships would be trifling. Their value is less than three days' cost of thewnr. Simultaneously our submarines arc now sinking monthly twice the tonnage of ull the German shipa in American ports."
German Censorship Strict.
A telegram from The Hague states that the German elliot cenBor has stopped Gor-
ian newspapers from entering Holland.
Telegrams which refer to the effect of
tho action of the United States are also being prevented from leaving Germany
Diplomatic cirelis nt The Hague have re ceiv ed no news from Berlin since Saturday
, Germans in America.
loyalty Asserted.
In New York considerable interest is being taken as to the attitude of leading German Amcncans The heads of the German clubs, and of groups of German financiers, when interviewed show a general wish and belief that the war miy be averted They even hope that the diplo matio rupture will serve to induce Ger ninny to modify hci programme The ma jority declare that they aie Amcncans first, and that they will support President Wilson, whatever be decides to do
Tho ' Staats Zeitung, ' a lending German American organ m New York, Bays -' The die is cast The President has spoken for ! all the country and people Wlule we mny
regret the trend of events, it is now the duty of every American to stand squarely behind the President There must not be nny division, or sentiment, oi opinion There
i bi only one loyalty-namely, to
Amerita "
1 ive hundred representatives of Austnan and German societies in Ameriin, with a membership of 100,000, have sent a pitition lo Presidmt Wilson pledging their loyalty to the United States, and praying for every
eflort to avert war
THE OTHER. NEUTRALS.
Holland.
German Blandishments
'Vicoiding to the Amstcrdnni corieBpon dent of the Duly Chronicle the news of the luplurc ol diplomatic relations between the United 'itali .> and Germiny eliitrihed the Duteli people Spend bulletins were plaçai did ciciy where throughout the coun tiy It is generally biheved in Holland that the developmint will hive a deep and giave influente ou Dutch diplomatic polity
It is estimated in Amsterdam that liol
lund s stoik of gnin is suflincnt foi onlv
a few w eiks
Gcnnuny li is professai w ilhngncss say Vmstcrdám inissagcs, not to apply the bloikode restrictions too severely, but has pointed out that it Vmeritu enters the war Germnny will prevent Holland from draw mg fiom Amenta further supplies Ctr many recentlv declared friendliness to« urds Holland, saying Unit abe did not desire to be the muse of needle.stjniouvei»iencc
ReprcBcn'tativ e Hollanders say'that lli'cy
do not believe that Gerraam wants to at tack Hollond, where she cannot hope to silure much food Holland «ill cndcavoui to presen c peace, but undeniable dangers exist The rumour» of the concontntion of German troops on the frontier ure lausmg much alarm
Sweden.
Preparations to Eesume Trade.
A conferenie of the Swedish sailors and stevedoi-s' lnions will be held in Stockholm at in tirly diti to distuss a propos il to boycott Gcmnn Bhipping now in Swedish ports ns retaliation for the submarining of Swedish ship8
Many shipowners do not believe tint tho Cernían blockade will hi effective, and are
I preparing lo resume tndtng
Hie Swedish Government proposes to alter the war insuraniis to meet the new I situation Ofhcial itiRiinnees nie at prisent
suspended, but pnvnte companies continue buBiness, charging 10 per eint foi _voi til
Sia voyages
Denmark.
"A Very Delicate Problem"
Copenhagen repoils that the Danish Go \ eminent is cons tun th conferring with
I commercial and financial circles
I In view of the blockade dangers, full con
i trol of ill stores will shortly be cstnb
lished
Export is becoming a very delicate prob lern li is feired that lommcrcnl neutrality will be impossible if Danish exports can only be sent to Geimany
Norway.
Steamers to Sail to England.
Advices from -vorway arc that Uic Slate insurance of ships and goods will continue
Some of the ¡Norwegian shipowners have ordered their vessels to fid to Lnghnd
What Will Spain Do?
Firm Stand Predicted.
File Madrid correspondent of the ' Daily Telegraph" say s -"1 hough the Spanish reply to Germany has not y et been textuallv dctidcd, it can be slid that the repty will
protest energetically against sinkings with otit w arning or other sml ings without nn effective blockade Spain will demand the
lght to tnde with othir nations, and she is prepired if nocessnn, to adopt nil measures and to make ill sacrifices neccs sary to assure and preserve her national life and industries "
Switzerland.
Anxiety for Food Supplies,
Germnny's blockade plans arc reported from Berne to mean serious peril for Switzerland's food supplies
Hie exemption of the Trench Méditer ranean port of Cette from the blockade does not help much, because all the imports which arc necessiry tannot be handled
there
A Note has been received nt Washington from Swityeiland It is understood that it
(relates to the peace proposals ncently made by President Wilson
[Cette, i french seiporl, is on a neck of land between tilt ligoon of Than and the Meditcrnnean, 23 miles .ontli w eat of Mont
pellier A broad, deep canal connects the port with the Canal dn Midi and the Rhine, thus giving it an extensive inland traffic ]
Scandinavian Nations Confer.
It is understood at Copenhagen that Nor way, Denmark, and Sweden are negotiat- ing between themselves m regard to the sub
manne situation
Southern America.
Opinion Guarded.
The United Press Association of America has been informed by its correspondent at Buenos Aires (Argentine) that opinion in South America is guarded
'La Noción" (Buenos Aires) remarks - "It is unfortunate that the United States has boen more careful to mnmtnin its own supenonty than to nchieve collective action by ncutial nations "
Brazil Supports United States.
The Central News Agency announces that the Government of Brazil has decided to stand by the United States in whatever ac- tion that nation takes _j
America's Army.
Mr. Taft Urges Conscription,
The United States Defence Council re- ports that there are 4,778,000 fit unmamed men in America who are available for mill
tary sei vice, while there is a total of 21,000,000 men between Hie ages ot l8 and 45 years, of whom the industries could spare 10 500,000
Mr AV II Taft (n former Prcident) nd vacates conscription, in order to bmld up the nation's army defence
United States Fleet.
113 Vessels Being Built.
Mi V A Britten, a Republican member for Chicago, in the American House of Representatives, was to introduce a reso lution on Hondo-, asking for an appropnn tion of llO.OOO.OOOdol (£23,800,000) for the completion of 113 war vessels at present in course of consti notion
Important ndditions to the American navy were provided for in un Appi opnation Bill, which wos passed by Congress in July
of last year the measure authorised the expenditure of 161,000 000 fot the year, yv Inch exceeded the original programme by ±0,000,000 I ho increased building pro gramme, which originally was to be com pletcd in (ive years was to be earned out in three years and the increases included ten battle ships;of which four would bo com menccd immediately In addition there would be laid down six battle cruisers, 10 scout cruisers, and 50 torpedo boat de stiovers four of the lntter tobo constructed on the Pacific Coast
Submarines also formed an important part of the programme Nine swift vessels of this class were to bo built, three being of 800 tons burden, and em li costing £240,000 twelve submarines were lo be entrusted to Pacific Coast yards lakmg the various classes, the new unit was to include 157 vessels, of winch 6Ü would be commenced without delay, and a bonus of 20 per cent over contract prices oflered for quick de- livery
It was estimated that the shipbuilding piogidinmc would cost 1100 000,000 spread over the period of three years
Commenting upon the measure in the form in which it was pusscd, tho New A.otk limes" stated Hint it was a stride towards making the American navy the second m Hie w oi Id
German Ships in America.
Great Fleet Could Be Used
In iii lush shipping circles it is antill
patod thal 200 German ships, valued at 150,000,000, which took refugi in United Stutcs poits at the outbreak of war, will be placed in commission and used to lake cargoes to Allied potts as Hu result of the ruptuie of diplomatic relations bitwcen Get ninny and Ameiica
In Now York alone theie aro 31 \essels, of a total value of £28,000,000
If Uio South American republics act bimi larly, about one third of Oeimnuy s mel inutile marine will be released
Italian Press View.
"A Decisive Stage m the War"
Italian newspapers enthusiastically con gratúlate President Wilson on lus decision
Hie 'donnie d'ftahn ' says tint the step taken by the United Slates maiks i dcci site phase in the war
'II Alcbsigcro' declares that Amcncas decision is worse for Germany thin i bittlo lost. It sets nn example to neutral conn tnes to condemn the barbarians to miner «al execration
Victims to Submarines.
The following steamers are reported to ha\e been sunk -
llutron 2,114 tons Spanish
iVov embre 1 500 tons, Spanish Helicon 1 llxl tons C1 reel.
y Incr 1 1-3 ton- Norwegian
In addition several smaller vessels have been destroyed
Riots in German Cities.
Hie London Daily Chronielc ' has been informed that riots recently occurrid it Kiel, Lubeck, and Alumch
AVhen the Gcrmnn troops refused to tiro on the mobs at Alumch the nuthoritie
summoned Turkish ti oops who arc ttndct
going training there, and they quelled the
disturbance
Food Problem in Berlin
It is stated in Rome tint 350 000 people are being fed in Berlin even day with dm nels supplied by the muniup ihty
Britain Commandeers Timber
The British Press Bureau announces that the Army Council is assuming control of all stocks in Gi cat Britain of soft sawn tim bor, unhiding sleepers All ile thugs m this timber are now prohibitr-d
Belgian Relief Affected
Mr Hot bert Hoover, president of the Bel gium Relief Commission, has staled in New York that transportation ot relief to Bel guim ib temporarily suspended
The situation, In added, may be most serious to Belgians He is, how iver, hope ful thal the operations of the commission may shortly be resumed
In a subsequent statement, Mr Hoovci announced that there ire 15 Relief Commis sion ships cither m or near Hie war zone If the bervico should be paralysed for lont the situation of 10,000,000 Belgians will bt awful to contemplate Ile intends to ask Gennany, through the Spanish Aiubassu doi, to open a safity lane for the relief ships
Germany has informed Hie Belgian Rihet Commission that she will no longei rcspeit the supply ships unless tiny take a couisi to Holland north of the new war _ono is fixed by Germany, but Mr Hoover replies that the combined British uni German minefields have completely cut off the ap proaches via the louie mentioned
Turning Out Munitions
Mr Chailcs Al Schwab, chairman of the Bethlehem Steel Coiporution, at i dinner it the Lotos Club in New York recently, de elm ed that his company, which now is ill pci cent fcrcatcr than the great Krupp vvorls of Gcimiiny, was at the disposal of the United States Government any «lay that tlie cmergenev arose, and that the Govern mont might operate it at its own price He
ftold his applauding hearers that they might appreciate readily vv lint nn a«.sct that w ould be to the Government when they Btoppcel to consider that one year before the out break of the 1 m opean war the entire output of the Government munitions faetones was about 200000 rounds of ammunition a year, while now tin Bethlehem tonipany was turning out 1000 000 rounds m a month The Bethlehem Steel Corporation, he said, was building fully one-third of all the fillips no« under construction in the United
btatca 1 hey were completing every week one 10 000 ton merchant ship fully equipped,
besides battle-ships submarinis ind «.maller. vessels Hut more than one half of all the ships building m the Lnittd States were for foreign owners
PRESIDENT'S DECEMBER NOTE
NOT PEACE MOVE BUT
WARNING.
A NEW THEORY.
A statement by Mr Henry W Hall, Washington correspondent of the New York "World," published in that paper on December 28, puts in n new light the motives thot indnccd President Wilson to send a circular Note to the belligerents The writer's argument is as follows -
' Very great embarrassment has been caused to the President and his advisers by the extraordinary manner in which the Note of December l8 has been nnsintcr pretcd, both m this country and abroad, alike as to its motives and its mcining The World is in a position to present the true facts, winch are as follows -
Throughout the latter part of Novcm ber and early in December, evidence accu mulatcd at the State department thnt created grave doubt« as to whether Gci
many was respecting the submarine pledge given to the United States, after the sink ing of the bussex- or at least whether the Gennnn Poreign Office was able effectively to prevent tilt riturrenic of hrnthes of the niles of innscr warfare, intluding visit and search by commanders of German sub
mai incB
lins tension was very considerably in creased by report« received from Com mander Walter It Ghcrnrdi the United States Naval Attache in Berlin to the effect that Germany «as building numbers ot submarines of a \erv luil,c and powerful type and lind from 70 to 80 such in course of constitution Information also was foi th coming tint Germany «as about to resumt a nit! li b submarine campaign
Destroyer of Sussex Decorated
' 1 urthcrmore, no anewei could be ob tamed from Count von Jieinstorfl or from Berlin to the Amencan Note isking what punishment had been meted out to the com mander of the submarine that lud sunk the Sussex
As a matter of fact it has since been mi ofhiiully asen tamed thal tin», ofheir who already «ore the lion Cross was rcwaided for his deed by the ordci Pour le Mente the highest dcioiallon in th. Kilt of tht
Kaiser
1 ailv in Dieembir a majority of Prcsi dent \\ ilson h C lbinit h id biionic ion uncid that it would be impossible not to tul i tilt line of action tlirinttnid in the Sussex Nott in « huh the United States declined Unliss the Impel ml l.ovtinnient Bhould now lmniiiliately dukin ind tllict au ibandonnicnl ol it» pi teeni methods of aubin nine wtufiu neanist r«ssem_ei and freight carrying vessels the Government ot the United '»tate« can luivt no thone but
to sevil diplomatie illations with the Ger mini 1 lupin altogetner
.President Wilson w is lietel mined to do oveiything humanly possible to 1 eep tin United Matea out ot vv ii and lu fully
riahsid that a niptiiit ol ululions witii Ceiinnnv and the "lung ol p ¡«spoils ti Vinbissudor Jiirustoilf niivitablv would Itad to an iiiimtiiinte resumption of ruth les« siibmirint warlare m whitli even \mcritnn ships wool t hi sun) leiviug tins tountrv no alltniitiv. but to e,o to win
the Picsidciit nUo han Liven Stn nor Stone and the iiiembeis of the toinnuttii on 1 oieign Relations of the Semite to nu derstiiid in lebruiiv 181(1 ultu tin sin!
ing of the Pel sut tint be would not bl eil
«lib (iiinnnv belori plating all the tuts
heloie them
On Diiimbii 8 tin siibinnrine ii isis with Germany was acute and a niwspnpii «toiy to Un eflnt thnt the United Stutts
was considering the smiling ut iinothei Note, tilled lorlh a leitiintion ol n pi ewans stultmtnt Hint theie would he no more Notes it wns nt tins umetiiie tint tin 1'iesident decidid to put in illeit i pim he had had in mimi hu .«oin. tune ind to
nd a .nenin ISotc to all tin belligerents tilhhe, nttintion to the biet tint the in tetcsts ot the United »»taits ns i neiitinl nition lind bun mo.«,t seriously allotted bv tlie wnr and that tin minim of tin United States in its tonclusion in ose out of ii main fest necessity lo dilerniine how best to Batt e,unrd its own interests ii the wat wns to
continue
In older to he nble to plnce the full information to vvhiih in felt the Unite 1 »»litis «as tntitled befoie tin counliv I'n sidtnt \\ ilson proposed to nil upon tile helbgcients to stall their objicts and tin Urins upon which they would be nilling to maki pence
Not Peace Move but Warning
lins Note was not lonieived ns a pene, move it «as loniciud us i waining to tin bclbteiints that the United States «as in diingei of bung drawn into the wai ngninst it« will nnd «ns intitlcd to 1 now the 1111110 and tin terms of the belhgoi-ints
\fter this tout st ol nition had been duideil upon bv the President who was vv uting an nppiopnatt moment to tal e tins step Count von BciiiBtoifl eithei iclcivuI an intimition 01 cirned mdirettly of the proposed steps In my tuse he bei nut thnioughlv convineed of tin ncnteness ot tin situation ind of tin dangii that Gei
ninny run of having the United States sivn
relation« with hir
At this jiimture the interim! Situation in Geiminy was becoming so grave that the
German Govcinmint lind determined upon n plan which it «as hoped would stillen
the ditcrmm ilion of tht Gtrmiin piopli. anl plaee Gilman) in 11 11101c fuvoui tbli
hüll 111 the eves of neiitrnls
.V pioposil foi a peicc lonfercncc « is lo le m ide through the \ ntican dining tin minns wcik 111 the ninnnei and nt Hie time best enltulnted to piodute 11 favoui
able impi e=sion nt home and abioad lln ( ci um 1 pence confiieiice piopoi ii wns ton .lived not in the hope of its nceeptaiitc bv tin Allies-(itrniany lind 110 illusions on this seoie nfter icpeitul tulleres 01 it | tinipt« at Bitict peuc noiotmtions willi nth and tiny one of the \lhcs sepai itelv -hut m tin liopi thal its ileuly loiestcn icjettion would embie tin Gorman Co viinincnl to nlliiv the gi nu mg iliseontint of the tivil population and the ever mci eis ing unpopiiliiitv of Hie w11 by fluming that the iifusal of the Allies iven to inter ince negotiations left («cirnanv no dione but to tontinuc to fight
Hoped to Sway Neutral Opinion
It vv is also hoped that the lelusil ol the Allua to enter 11 lonfertnu would luivt in important olfiet upon public opinion in neutral «.milnes mid iBpecinllv in the United Stiles It was counted upon to cn ite xtuh a itvulsion 111 Geimunys favour li at public opinion lieu »oui 1 not suj port the I'rtsiuint ii he attemptid to nit dong tin lines laid down iii the Sus ox ÎSotc lit Un fine o' tin iciimption ot nitliliss sub mai me vin fue upon winch Get many wa«
fullv dctenniucd
Count von Herustorlt s report to his
Government ot the acute tnsis «huh had aiiseu litre over Hie loss of Amme in lives on tin Munni and tin torptdoine, without » mung of the \rabia precipitatid the
action of the (.11111111 Goiirnmint !
Instead of v ailing till Christmas wttl
to send out the proposal for a pence ion I ferenc tliantelloi von fiithmnnn HoIIucl wintlefon tin Ruchstue, on Deeimlier 1" mule his fnu 011s «peech nnd hnnded to the liprcBcntativt- of all niutiil nations m Bellin Uti propo ii if Get ninny Aii3tria
lui! ey and Bul. inn to inter fortliwit 11 into p. ne nciol ntu n« and nsl.d them lol Innsimt tin icici ollii to ii! 01 li e 1 11
tente powers I
Hie ti!, t of Um moví ivas to binni 11
nil subninrme disuission in Washington I lulition« between ( irninny ind Un UniU 1 ' States hld reached the st ige willie ftotlnn '
but voluntary assurmica from Gennnliv I seemed nbh lo avert a ltipture within 1] veiv short time bul the penei proHir m irk hy Germnny utid 11s an effectual barrier to ' any iitinn tin Utntid Statis might h ive j
determined upon
Under tl.es innditions President M il I Bon with a full and complite knowledge ot all the conditions determined merely to transmit the German Note to Un \llus without anv comment but not to allow it
in any way to nlfett tile tourse lie hil 1 mapped out lor the United States
Oh Mondiy, Dcccmb.r l8 tin Pie«idcnt sent the Ameritan Note of inquiry beloie I loyd George lind made Ina «peceli iii the House of Commons 111 «Inch the new Bri
tish Premier Mid that Gieit Biitain was in full nceord with Inr allies and felt that
they ought to know before entering into any peace conference that Germany was pre pored to accede to the only terms on w Inch peace could bo obtained nnd maintained in j-uropc-complete restitution, full repara tion, ond cficttual guarantees
Lansing's First Statement
When tile President's INole was published in tile morning papers of December 21 there was a general movement of the diplomatic corps to the State department, virtually every Ambassadoi and Munster to Wash ington seeking to leam from the Secretary I of fetatc himself just what prompted tin I United States to send the Note and w hcthcr
it foreshadowed any change in the policies of the Wilson Administration
The explanation given by Secretan Lan sing to the Anib issadors of the Entente »a», word for word, the lirst statement that ho gave out or lily to the press One ambassador, on computing his trunscnp tion of benctury Lansings statement to lum which he ind ahcadv cabled to his Governmpnt with the stitement published in the aiternoon newspapers found that thev were so identical that the Secretary must hilve committed it to memory
Tho Lansing Statement
Secretary Lansings first communique was a correct statement of the reasons that prompted President W lison to address a Note to all the belligerents Hie Secretary
said -
It ian t our material interest we had in mind when tlie Note was sent, but more nnd moro out own lights aro becoming in volved by the belligerents on both sides so that the situation i« becoming mci cas ingly critical 1 mc in by Hint tint we are drawing nearer tho viigc of war outselvcs and therefore we are entitled to 1 now exactly what each belligerent seeks in ordei that we mnv regulate our rondnct in the future No nation has been sounded aNo consideration of the German overtures or ot the speech of Lloyd Geoige wis taken into account in the lormiilnlioii of the dom mont Hie only thing the ovirtures did was to delay it a Ilw days It wis not decided to send it until Alondiv Of courin the difhiulties tint 1 ned the President vveie thnt it might be constmed ns a move mont towal el pence and in aid of the Ger man overtures ile specifically domes that that was tin fuel in the ilocuniint Hsell
Hie sending of this Note will inoacite the possibility of om being forced into the war Ihut possibility ought to serve a« a restrain tug anil souering loree safeguarding vmen can lights It may also serve to totee an carhci lonchibion of tho wai âNeither tin I'residint nor mybilf rtguids this \otc as a peaci JNoti it is monly an itiort to get the belhgeicnts to denne the end for which tiny uio fighting
Wo Still Try to Avoid War
Hie interpretation pi neil upon this statement in hnnncni circles lead lo i near panic on the Stock 1 xehnnge and was so evidently dangerous that after a consult i tion with the Piesidcnt Seiictniy Lansing mude it eleni Hi it no intimation was m tended ot any change in the policy of non Imlity which Hie United States has con sliintlv pursued in the lace of unloosing
difficulties
Lven in the event of being forced to sever teintions with Gciminy the Piesi dent will continue to do cviiything thal is humanly possible to avoid being drawn into uilivi putieipatiou m tin wai
It is rialiscd howevei in the highest cueles here that the next linee months will be tin most iritnal for tin United Slates of the wholi war perhaps the most erilicnl of hei whole Instenv Cabinet members led exticmtlv pessimistic is to the outcome
bec uisc the i muan leplv to I'rcsidenll Wilsons in pin v is so thoroughly dmp pointing that then stems to he no reison able prospic if pe ice and only the slim mest possibli ihuncp (¡mt the United Statis will be able to nvcid putting into effect Hu thieat mule in the Sussex Note ind bleak ing oil rd liions with (eiminv
lhi Woild n. in n I osil ion lo bia te Hut' I'residint Wilsons picneul plans nil lor, no mole Note iviitmj- lo Gcruuinv