I have been reading some of the diplomatic notes between the USA and Germany/UK. Some of the German positions from a modern perspective do not seems so unreasonable, so what if on January 1, 1915, the following terms were agreed to between the Germany and the USA.
1) German will not fire without warning on USA ships following the following terms: The ships most follow predesignated convoy routes with their lights on at night. The ships shall have 3 red stripes on the side of the ship, each stripe is 3 meters wide. The ships will fly an American flag at the rear of the ship and a checkerboard red/white flag on the center mast. There will be one port per neutral country that American ships will use, and they will only leave port on Tuesdays and Saturdays. (The Germans evidently offered these terms to a specific port in one country, so i am assume this is Wilson counter offer which is accepted by the Germans, and I maybe taking some liberties on the date of the German offer.)
2) The USA will bar any ship from any warring party with 3 reds stripes on it side from entering an USA port. (I made this one up to discourage the UK from painting red stripes on their ships. The USA was protesting the Lusitania flying an American Flag.)
3) The USA will bar USA citizens from boarding English or German flagged ships. (Germany claimed this was the American Law anyway, and Wilson was not following.)
4) The USA will make sure that no goods on the British Contraband list will be allowed to load on any American Flag Ship bound for any warring power. The USA will allow any good to be loaded on any ship that does not carry an USA flag. (I made this one up, but it seems to be a reasonable way to get past the British and Germans arguing about close blockades, use of submarines, etc. It also removes any possible excuse for the Germans sinking an American Ship, so it should make a declaration of war easier on Germany if Germany does not follow the agreement.)
I am more interested in what would happen if Wilson accepted these terms, more than would Wilson accept.
So, questions:
A) How would Americans and Wilson act when the Lusitania is sunk if there are few or no Americans on board?
B) Would Britain simply paint the red marks on there ships and fly the checkered flag? If so, how would the USA react?
C) Does the USA still enter the war at some point? When?
D) Any opinions on the outcome of the war?
E) Would Britain view this as a hostile act? Does Britain allow the USA ships to pass unmolested?