f the accomplishment of
the main object for which the Administration had been contending.

Nor would the Government heed Germany's proposal that it undertake the
role of peacemaker in the absence of any indication that the Allied
Powers were willing to respond to Germany's willingness to make
peace--presumably on Germany's own terms.

The promises in the German note were accepted per se, and the
qualifications and animadversions Germany attached to them ignored.
This determined upon, the intimation was made plain to Germany that
should another ship be sunk in contravention of her new pledge no
exchange of notes would ensue, but a severance of diplomatic relations
would automatically be effected by the forbidden act. German submarine
commanders held in their hands the key to the situation. Any
infraction of Germany's latest word would not call for a disavowal or
punishment of the commander; the United States would merely act on the
presumption that Germany could not or would not control her own naval
forces. Berlin would not be consulted again.

The American response to the German note was sent three days later. It
was brief, and swept aside the considerable debating ground Germany
had invitingly spread to inveigle the United States into discussing
mediation in the war. Its principal passage ran:

"Accepting the Imperial Government's declaration of its abandonment of
the policy which has so seriously menaced the good relations between
the two countries, the Government of the United States will rely upon
a scrupulous execution henceforth of the now altered policy of the
Imperial Government, such as will remove the principal danger to an
interruption of the good relations existing between the United States
and Germany.

"The Government of the United States feels it necessary to state that
it takes it for granted that the Imperial German Government does not
intend to imply that the maintenance of its newly announced policy is
in any way contingent upon the course or result of diplomatic
negotiations between the Government of the United States and any other
belligerent government, notwithstanding the fact that certain passages
in the Imperial Government's note of the 4th instant might appear to
be susceptible of that construction.

"In order, however, to avoid any possible misunderstanding, the
Government of the United States notifies the Imperial Government that
it cannot for a moment entertain, much less discuss, a