WASHINGTON, May 8, 1915 (UP) - After talking with President Wilson tonight concerning the issuance of a statement on the Lusitania disaster, Secretary Tumulty, at 9 p.m., gave out the following:
"Of course, the president feels the distress and the gravity of the situation to the utmost and is considering very earnestly but very calmly the right course to pursue.
"He knows that the people of the country wish and expect him to act with deliberation, as well as with firmness."
Asked for a statement this afternoon, Secretary Bryan replied: "The public does not need comment. This isn't a time to rock the boat."
"Has the Lusitania incident rocked the boat? he was asked.
"It's hard to make a statement ample enough suit all inquiries," was the reply.
The most significant feature of the situation created in America by the sinking of the Lusitania, as viewed by official Washington tonight, was the fact that the people have not lost their heads.
There has been no flooding of the White House and state department with messages demanding reprisals, nor have statesmen and citizens flocked here to urge an assertion of America's rights. Congressman Gardner of Massachusetts, agitator of the big army and navy movement that failed in the last congress, was the sole caller of the kind.
President Wilson and his cabinet adhere carefully to a program calculated to prevent excitement. President Wilson played his usual Saturday morning game of golf. No cabinet meeting was held, though it had been expected there would be one. There was not even a conference between the president and Secretary Bryan.
All information, however, concerning the disaster and particularly concerning Americans on the Lusitania and relief work by the American consulate at Queenstown, was given immediately to the White House as fast as it arrived.
Everything possible was done to allay public feeling and delay consideration of the course to be pursued until all facts are in hand.
From the alarmist point of view, probably Secretary Bryan's suggestion to newspaper correspondents that "this is no time to rock the boat," and Secretary of War Garrison's abandonment of a proposed trip to Alabama were about the only things that happened.
The real significant outstanding fact, as it appealed to Washington officialdom tonight, was that the people of the country have remained calm. This was being discussed on every hand, and, so far as the administration was concerned, with gratitude.
Official action included a message to Ambassador Gerard in Berlin, instructing him to request a report on the occurrence from the German government; directions to Ambassador Page in London, that depositions be obtained from the Lusitania survivors and inquiries to London and Queenstown concerning arrangements for the care of Americans.
As for public statements, none were made. In the words of Counsellor Lansing of the state department the official attitude was silence - strict silence.
The British embassy was unwilling to talk, confining itself to a news bulletin containing the meagre information supplied all press applicants by the British foreign office.
To yesterday's frank reminder that Americans were warned not to sail on the Lusitania, the German embassy added only the statement that, if the Lusitania carried no guns, the German government had not been advised of their removal and that the embassy had positive knowledge that the liner was carrying arms and ammunition.
Ambassador Bernstorff was expected from New York at 10 a.m. Sunday. Such legal opinions as were vouchsafed by recognized authorities during the day inclined to the belief that the United States' Lusitania case against Germany is weaker than that involved in the attack on the oil tanker Gulflight. Senators as divergent in most of their views as Henry Cabot Lodge and Chairman Stone of the foreign relations committee agreed on this.
The Lusitania was subject to attack from any enemy vessel, according to Stone, and Americans exercising their undeniable right to travel abroad on neutral missions might better have chosen a neutral vessel for the trip.
This opinion also was held by Senator Hoke Smith, who, while saying the law does not lessen the inhumanity of the act, expressed doubt that the United States could show that Germany had violated international law.
The United States, however, has asked Germany for a detailed report on the sinking of the liner Lusitania and the consequent loss of more than 1,300 lives.
The kaiser's government was, in effect, asked flatly, whether Germany was responsible.
But aside from taking this action through a cablegram to Ambassador Gerard in Berlin the administration doubtless deemed itself powerless. This conclusion is based upon personal and confidential expressions by executive officials.
The heavy loss of life and especially among Americans, made a deep impression in the capital. There was a distinct air of strained calm throughout official circles. It was admitted that this government faced a serious situation, but despite the taking of American lives, and viewing the matter from the cold standpoint of international law, it was the opinion of a majority of authorities that Germany has a good legal defense.
An overwhelming majority of those familiar with the situation created by the sinking of the Lusitania took the view advanced openly by Chairman Stone of the senate foreign relations committee and Senator Hoke Smith that the Lusitania may not furnish this country with government with grounds for as firm a protest as some other incidents offer.
In view of the fact that the Lusitania was a British boat and that warning was given of the danger to Americans in such travel these authorities held that the Germans will have a good legal defense for their act which cost so many innocent lives.
Their defense, it was declared, will be as strong in the case of the Lusitania as was that following the sinking of the liner Falaba, when one American perished, and much better than in the cases of the William P. Frye, the Cushing and the Gulflight. All of the latter ships were American vessels.
The Frye was sunk because the commander of the Prinz Eitel Friedrich deemed her cargo of wheat contraband. The Cushing was attacked by an aeroplane and one of three bombs which were dropped struck her. The attack upon the Gulflight might be taken as a direct blow at American commerce, as she is an American boat and was carrying American oil.
A sharp retort from the White House followed a statement by Congressman Gardner that if the United States recedes from its position of holding Germany to strict accountability for loss of American lives, the country will become nothing better than an "international bluffer."
"I do not care to comment on Gardner's utterance except to say that the White House resents his action of using it as an auxiliary to his press bureau," was the declaration of Secretary Tumulty, following the congressman's visit.
Gardner called at the White House this afternoon where he saw Tumulty but did not see President Wilson. After his visit Gardner said:
"I sincerely hope that the president will not recede an inch from his notice to Germany that she would be held in strict accountability if Americans were blown up. If the president recedes, Uncle Sam will become in the eyes of the world nothing better than an international bluffer."
Asked how he interpreted "strict accountability," Gardner said:
"You remember the answer Lincoln sent to Lord Palmerston when it was reported a second Alabama was being fitted out?
"'A second Alabama, your lordship,' said Lincoln, 'means war.'"
If Colonel Roosevelt were president, said Gardner, Germany would have known what "strict accountability" meant and would have disregarded the warning at her peril.
"Roosevelt might torpedo the constitution itself," declared Gardner, "but he would not let anyone else torpedo anything American without knowing the reason why."
Considering Gardner's criticism of the United States navy during the last session of congress he was asked if he thought it able to hold its own with the German fleet.
"Gosh, no!" he replied. "But if Jess Willard tweaked my nose, I would have a try at him, anyway."
