New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-19


ton AT the hands Of the United State;
and on which might be based o'teiai
instructions TO American merehsh'
masters.
The fact that Germany has devoted
considerable portion of her note to
discussion Of the attitude OF neutra's,
particularly the United States, toward
Inc exportation Of arms and war ma,
terial o. the most strictly conuaoand
character is considered by high ohlelsIs
a useless Interpolation OF an eNtraneoC-
subject. IL is pointed out that although
Germany recognizes that inh!oluont
upon the export OF arms would De I'm
nossihle under the rules Of inteTneton-
III law. she still makes The lack OF such
an inhibition a part Of her lusnheatioh
FOR the war zone proclamation.
The weakness OF this argument was
rendered doubly conspicuous to-day py
the utterance OF the President 10 the
rsnresentatives Of $4,000 women petit
tianers al over the United States who
snpealed FOR an embargo and urged IA
variable consideration OF the Hitchcock
and Vollner bills now before Congress
President Wilson said that procloma.
t;on Of embargo on the expectation OF
arms and munitions would be an IN
neutral act, and fatty rejected the plea
The statement was the first DEFINITE
exnress;or from him on the subject ana
was apparently taken after eaTefuI con
alteration Of the growing resentment
both among German-Amerieans ana IN
Germany Itself, against the sdminis-
tration'S attitude. The fact tha' tne
President chose to-day 20 make pHole
his views Is regarded as significant
President Wilson has been advised by
expert counsel with whom he has as,
cussed the question that for the Cni'ea
States 20 prohibit the expectation OF
arms after the control Of the seas mao
nassed into the hands Of the A!les
would be an act 30 clearly unneutIai
that Il might be made The occasion 10,
a declaration Of war against the 1hl'eo
States BY the allied powers. The fTesi,
dent Is DESTROYS Of nipping In the quo
any discussion Of the subject on me
floors Of Congress or the furtner ue-
velopmeut by propaganda OF senIiTleHt
supporting the Hitchcock ana No'''nei
bills
At midnight tonight the admlntstra-
lion had not received the cable meS-
sage from Ambassador Gerard trai s.
hitting the official copy of the Ger
man note. The State Department early
in the day had been put IN posse sion
of the complete text through an un-
official source, il having been cahled 10
the limited States from Berlin. The
mote. as transmitted by Ambassador
Gerard. is in the State Departments
eipher. and will probably arrive In the
course Of the next twenty-torr NOUS:
THE officials were thoroughly SATISFIED
as 20 the authenticity Of the transcript
of the note IN their possession ana
srcb comment as was made was based
unon IL. There was, OF course, no 'om-
munication with the German Embassy
on the subject, since the official tran
script had not been delivered.
Consult with 0'her Neutrais'
That other neutral countries, espe-
cially Holland and the Scandinavian
countries, are npprehensive Concerning
the situation ard have consuiteu Ihe
limited States became known to-day.
While there is no understanding imply
ing Joint action II any neutral vesseIs
are sunk, the Washington government
has made it plain that II IS IN accord
with the steps already taken By other
neutral powers, copies OF their notes
and representations having been fur-
nished TO officials here.
Secretary Bryan refused 70 revea!
what steps the United States would
take IL American vessels or lives were
lost. and while at the State, War and
NAVY departments the German note
was the subject of informal discussion
generally, details of the policy being
formulated by the American govern
ment were not disclosed.