New Britain herald., 1915-03-02

! l but that the question was under ser ! ious consideration. He reiterated that he was still uncertain whether he would be able to follow out his plan of going to the San Francisco Exposition this month, and that was taken as another indicat ton that the European situation was considered of such importance as to keep the presi- dent in Washington.
 Cabinet Discusses Matter. The allies plan, as officially cou- municated to the United States. has been laid before President Wilson, and the whole matter was the subject for deliberation, at today's cabinet meet ing.
 If this policy Is enforced, it will no longer be possible to ship cotton, manufactured articles and commodi- ties hitherto of non-contraband character, from the United States to Germany, directly or indirectly. and from the latter country the supply of dyestuffs and other merchandise. for consumption in this country will be cut off.
 The impression was general in of
 
 protest would be made against the action of the allies, which was re- garded as an unprecedented and novel step. Officials pointed out that in the reprisals which the belligerents were making toward each other there was singular forgetfulness of the fact that, whatever might be the violations of international custom as ri of could not affect the status of inter- national rules as between the United States and countries with which she was at peace.
 Not q Reply to Recent Proposal.
 Assurances given by Great Britain that yesterdays note was not reply to the recent proposals of the United States for an adjustment of the en- tire situation which led to the re- taliatory measures, gave ground for some hope that the measures taken might be only of temporary char acter In this connection the state department issued the following state ment:
 The British ambassador has pre- sented the following instructions from his government:
 When presenting joint Anglo French communication. you should in form United States government that communication received from them, through the United States ambassa- dor in London, respecting d possible limitation of use of submarines and mines and an arrangement for sup plying food, to Germany. is being taken into careful consideration by his majesty's government in con- sultation with their allies.'
 Text of Reply.
 Following is the full text of the British note. with which that present cd by the French amassador is vir- tually identical:
 "Germany has declared that the English channel, the north and west coasts of France and the waters around the British Isles are a war area and has officially notified that all enemy ships found in that area will be destroyed and that neutral vessels may be exposed to danger. This is in effect a claim to torpedo at sight, without regard to the safety of the crew, or passengers, any mer- chant vessel under any flag. As it is not in the power of the German ad- miralty to maintain any surface craft in these waters, this attack can only be delivered by submarine agency.
 The new and custom of nations in regard to attacks on commerce have always presumed that the first duty of the captor of merchant vessel is to bring it before a prize court where it may be tried, where the regularity of the capture may be challenged and where neutrals may recover their car goes. The sinking of prizes is in it. self questionable act to be resorted to only in extraordinary circum- stances, and after provision has been made for the safety of all the crew or passengers. If there arc passen- gers on board, the responsibility for discriminating between neutral and enemy vessels and between neutral and enemy cargo, obviously rests with the attacking ship, whose duty 1t Is to verify the status and character of the vessel and cargo and to preserve all
 papers before sinking or even cap- turing it. So also is the humane duty of providing for the safety of the crews of merchant vessels, whetl- CT neutral or enemy, an obligation upon every belligerent.
 "It is upon this basis that all previ- ous discussions of the law for regu- lating warfare at sea have proceeded. A German submarine, however, full fills none of these obligations; she en- joys no local command of the waters
 in which she operates; she does not
 take her captures within the juris- diction of a prize court; she carries no prize crew which she can put on board a prize; she uses no effec-
 tive means of discriminating between neutral and an enemy vessel; she
 does not receive on board for safety