The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1915-02-06
WATER WAR ZONE
CAUSES UNEASINESS
PRESIDENT WILSON AND HIS
CABINET HAVE THE MATTER
UP FOR DISCUSSION.
The Claim Of Germany That Her Enc
mics Are Using Neutral Flags on
Merchantmen viii Be Investigated

ed the possible effects ON neutral
shipping of the German proclamation
declaring as naval war zones the
water areas surrounding Graat Brit
ain and ireland and bordering the
north and west coasts of France and
portion Of the Netherlands
Inasmuch as the text of the Ger
man admiralty proclamation had not
arrived no conclusions were reached
and no consensus OF opinion develop
ed as to what diplomatic steps should
be taken by the United States gov
ernment Should the communication
fail to arrive at Berlin to make the
customary inquiry at the German for
eign office as to the authenticity of
published report
If the German proclamation when
officially transmitted corresponds in
phraseology to the report which cam
by wireless yesterday it was suggest.
ed in executive quarters, that the
course OF the American government
probably would be to inquire. first
of the German government that meas
ures of protection or convoy can be
expected by American merchant
ships passing through the designated
war zones to neutral ports and sec
ond OF the British government as to
whether or not it has issued the al
/ ged secret order permitting the use
OF neutral flags by her merchantmen.
A denial by Great Britain of the eX-
| istance of the order would be follow
| ed, it is understood by an inquiry of
the German authorities as to proof of
their charge The suggestion that
| neutral flags We're being misused
caused no little concern among high
officials who said they had heard no
reports Of it before
1t was stated on high authority
that the United States government
| probably would not go further than
TO seek TO establish what measures
the German navy viii taxi to aid
American ships in passing safely
! through the war zones and what Ell
| forts will be made to verify the neu-
! trail character of vessels fl'ng thu
! American flag
! The right of a bellgerent TO desig-
nate a water area as war zone with
! in which if is dangerous for neutral
! craft to venture is a lately recoguiz-
! ed principle OF international law with
| the extent of the zone the degree of
menace to neutral vessels and the
right to interrupt lawful commerce in
the only existing water routes be-
tween neutral countries. have never
been defined
High officials here did not believe,
as some German parers have iuumat-
ed, that the German government in
| tends to deliberately destroy neu-
! tral vessels in the war zone Rules OF
international law, it was pointed out
call for careful search of a neutral
vessel to determine how much OF its
cargo is contraband and even then
the ship can be destroyed only in
rare emery ucies and ON the conf
| dent assumption that IL would have
been condemned AS "A prize.
While i'm many quarters the action
of Germany was referred to as
blockade technically the designa-
! tiou OF war zones in an entirely diff
fcrent matter. Neutral vessels und ar
a blockade are absolutely forbidden
from entering the blockade areas but
under GeImany's proclamation there
is no penalty or obstacle directly
placed against the passage Of a neu-
traI ship through a war zone after
the warning against the dangers that
exist there In effect. a neutral yes
sci enters the dangerous area at it's
own risk, situation somewhat analo.
sous to the mine strewn fields OF the
North sea, though destruction by
submarine whose nationality could be
ascertained would differ in legal CON
sequences from the explosion Of
contact mine, responsibility for the
laying of which might never be de
tcrmined
The German admirality's notice, it
was contended at the German EN-
bassy. is the natural result OF the
British attitude towards foodstuffs in.
tended for Germany 1t was made
| plain that the intention of the order.
as understood here is to prevent the
entrance OF food into England While
none of the neutral embassies and
! legations had instructions from their
home governments today. il was sug-
gestetd that il was unlikely that
/ change from the policy of protesting
in specific cases was discussed in
formally in diplomatic quarters but
without official sanction
It was stated at the legation of the
Netherlands that conference would
/ be held tomorrow between the minis
! ter, Cheyalier Won Rappard and offic
ials Of the state department, in order
to ascertain the probable action OF
| this government
| Officials at the legation character.
lied the situation as extremely ser
ious for all neutrals whose ships or
dinarily pass through the danger zone
and especially fer Holland whose en-
tire coast line is affected.
n, ~