Evening star., 1915-02-14
ADMITS FROM AMERICAN
VIEW SOME POINTS JUST
Anticipated Objection, But Insists
Naval Campaign Can Proceed
Without Clash With U. s.
AGAIN WARNS ALL NEUTRALS
Kaiser's Minister at The Hague
Again Calls Attention to Danger
to Ships in Waters Around
Great Britain.

i
Great Britain.
| BERLIN, via London, February II,
11:10 p.m.-The German foreign Office.
after studying the American note re-
specting the declaration of Germany of
a war zone in the waters around Great
| Britain and Ireland, states that the
terms are much friendlier than pre-
| viously had been expected by reason
of the incomplete newspaper dispatches
published here.
J The foreign Office had not anticipated
that the United States would accept
| the German position without objection,
and it even recognized that from the
American standpoint certain of the
points raised are quite justified.
Germany. however. it is declared. in
tends to adhere to it's own viewpoint.
Various officials. diplomatic. naval
bee been Sought Sought profess Hss to % see no e elee
ments of danger in the situation, and
are convinced that the naval campaign
can be conducted on the lines laid down
| in the admiralty proclamation without
involving difficulties between the United
States and Germany.
Renews Warning to Neutrals.
THE HAGUE. via London. February
13, 9:55 p.m.-The German legation has
again warned neutral vessels against
entering the war area around the Brit
ish Isles. as defined by the German ad-
| miralty. and to the original note adds
the following:
"Since Germany. following the exam
pie of Great Britain. declared as war
aff Enhr, 1l,h
and Irish waters. the British have de-
clared all the ports of England war
ports and have justified the use of neu-
trail flags on merchant vessels.
Moreover, according to reliable
source. a great number of British mer-
chantmen have been armed in order to
destroy German submarines by shells or
by ramming them. Thereby, these ships
lose their character as merchant ships
and become war vessels
Germany, therefore, is again obliged
urgently to warn all neutral ships
against entering English coast waters
after February 1S. as from that date the
German admiralty VIII prosecute the war
| British war ports and British armed
| merchant ships.
Danger to Vessels.
Neutral vessels which are then still
within the war zone will run the same
risks as If they pursued a course
through the zone of battles between
England and Germany, of which the
date and place could not have been
made known. and will bring risks upon
themselves for which Germany cannot
take the responsibility.
THE route around the north of Scot
land. owing to the depth of the waters
cannot be endangered by mines. There.
as well as in the waters of the North
eYcpnti0n Rrif
ters and German bay, neutral shipping
will not be endangered by the meas
ures the German admiralty is adopt
ing"
Lusitania Again Sails.
LIVERPOOL. February 1s. via Lon
don, 4:14 p.m.-The Cunard steamer
Lusitania. the vessel which flew the
American flag across the Irish sea on
her last trip in as a measure of protec-
tion against German submarines, sail
usual hour today under the British
flag. Whether or not this emblem will
still be flying when the Lusitania
| reaches the Irish sea was question
which the keenly interested passengers
found IT impossible to obtain an an
swer.
The Lusitania carried a large list of
passengers, including many Americans.
the number of 200. however. cancelled
their bookings on the Lusitania at the
last moment and transferred over to
the American line steamer st. Paul.
which also sailed for New York today
The st. Paul had the largest passenger
list since the rush of American refu-
gees last fall.
Berlin Must Settle.
PARIS. February 13. 5:45 pm.-Dis-
| cussing the American notes to Ger
| many and Great Britain. the Temps
today recalls that Secretary of State
Lewis Cass In correspondence with
Great Britain in 1860 declared that the
papers and not the flag of a vessel
| constituted its nationality, and also
| that the Americans used flag other
| than their own on vessel of war to
approach Guam in 1898.
The newspaper points out that the
| Italian marine code recognizes the
right of a vessel to fly neutral flag
| by allowing the use of the Italian nag
| on the commercial marine of bel
| ligerent.
1t is at Berlin. the Temps concludes,
| that neutral countries should protest.
| and it supposes that this Is the Ameri-
| can point Of view.
! LONDON, February 13, 7:45 p.m.-The
| British foreign office Is preparing a
reply to the American note concerning
the use of the American flag on the
steamer Lusitania. The reply will be
forwarded to Washington in a few
days. probably before February IS.
| The British officials have never ad-
mitted the German charge that a gen.
eral order was issued by the British
government that British ships should
use the flags of neutral states. Neither
has the admiralty confirmed the rumor
that the Lusitania was ordered to use
/ the neutral flag.
| The position of the British govern
ment, as will be set forth in the re-
ply, probably will be that the captains
of British merchant vessels have been
advised to use neutral flags should an
emergency demand such action to save
the lives Of those on the ships The
note probably will make 1t clear that
no general use of neutral flags has