The Sentinel=record., 1915-02-12


 t'he intercourse of the two govern ments. expresses the confident hope and expectation that the imperia. German government can and will give assurance that American citizens and their vessels will not be molested by the naval forces Of Germany other wise than by visit and search though their vessels may be trayersing the sea area delimited in the proclama- tion of the German admiralty.
 It is added for the information of the imperial government that repre- sentations have been made to his Brittanic majesty's government in re- spect to the unwarranted use of the American flag for the protection of British ships'
 February 10. 1915.
 "The secretary of state has in- structed Ambassador Page at London to present to the British government a note to the following effect:
 The department has been advised of the declaration of the German ad- miralty on February 4 indicating that the British government had on Jan uary 31 explicitly authorized the use of neutral flags on British merchant vessels presumably for the purpose of avoiding recognition by German maya forces. The departments attention has been also directed to reports in the press that the captain of the Lus.- tania, acting upon orders or inrOrma- ton received from the British au- thorities, raised the American flag as his vessel approached tAe British coasts, in order to escape anticipated attacks by German submarines To- days press reports also contain an al- legged official statement of the foreign office defending the use of the flag of a neutral country by a beligerent yes sal in order to escape capture or at tack by an enemy.
 Assuming that the foregoing re- ports are true. the government of the United States, reserving for future consideration the legality and pro priety of the deceptive Use of the flag of a neutral power in any case for the purpose of avoiding capture. desires very respectfully to point out to his Brittanic majesty's government the serious consequences which may re. suit to American vessels and Ameri- can citizens if this practice is con tinued
 "'The occasional use of the flag ot a neutral or an enemy under the stress of immediate pursuit and to de ceiye an approaching enemy which appears by the press reports Co be represented as the precent and justi- fication used 10 support this action, seems to this government a very diff ferent thing from an explicit sane tion by a belligerent government for its merchant ships generally to fly the flag of a neutral power within certain portions of the high seas which are presumed to be frequented with hostile warships The formal declaration of such policy of gen eral misuse of a neutral's flags jeop ardizes the vessels of the neutral na- tion visiting those waters in pacu- liar degree by raising the presump- tion that they are of belligerent ma tionality regardless of the flag which they may carry
 Tn view of the announced pur- pose of the German admiralty to en. gage in active naval operations in cer- tain delimited sea areas adjacent to the coasts of Great Britain and Ire land, the government of the United States would view with anxious solc- itude any general use of the flag Of the United States by British vessels traversng those waters. A policy such as the one which his majesty's government is said to intend to adopt would, if the declaration of the German admiralty be put in force it seems clear. afford no protection to British vessels, while it would be a serious and constant menace to the lives and vessels of American clt- zens.
 The government of the United States, therefore trusts that his ma. iesty's government will do all in their power to restrain vessels Of British nationality from the deceptive use of the flag of the United States in the sea area defined in the Ger man declaration, since such practice would greatly endangsr the vessels of a friendly power navigating those wa ters and would even seem to impose upon the government of Great Britain measure of responsibility for the loss of American lives and vessels in case of an attack by a German naval force.