s
can be entered upon. Giving up submarine warfare is only hinted at by
implication. Germany's humanity is appealed to entirely in general
terms and merely the expectation is expressed that the lives of
American citizens and their property will be spared in the future.

A willingness is expressed to help make England give up the plan to
starve out Germany. The giving up of the attempt to starve Germany out
on the part of England is the most important point for us. The main
interest will centre in future upon it. Will England declare herself
ready to return to the basis of the London Declaration? Will she no
longer place any difficulties in the way of neutral commerce, and in
particular will she remove the declaration of the North Sea as a war
zone? We will wait and see if the English statesmen have learned that
Germany can't be starved. We can await Great Britain's decision with
quietness.

_The evening edition of the Vossische Zeitung said:_

President Wilson's note creates no new situation between Germany and
America, but its honorable and carefully weighed tone will help to
clear up the existing situation. There can be no difference of opinion
about Mr. Wilson's final aim--that the lives of peaceful neutrals must
be kept out of danger. What we can do and what America must do to
achieve this will require negotiations between us and America, which
must be conducted with every effort toward being just and by
maintaining our standpoint in the friendliest spirit.

_The Lokalanzeiger commented:_

The colored reports spread by our enemies are not borne out by the
text, which contains no trace of an ultimatum. The tone is friendly
and free from all brusqueness. The contents are only a rewriting of
the earlier standpoint, and it will be a matter for further
negotiations to state again the arguments advanced by Germany and to
justify them. It would be premature to comment on individual points,
particularly those of a technical nature. One can rejoice, however,
that the Wilson note is so couched as not to preclude a possibility
for further negotiations promising success.

He gives the German Government an opportunity to send further proofs
in the Lusitania case and declares his willingness to negotiate
between Germany and England relative to mutual concessions having a
bearing on submarine warfare. This offer, to be sure, would have been
decidedly more valuable if he had expressed a willingness to take the
initiative. B