The Sentinel=record., 1915-02-10
WILL NOT GUARANTEE SAFETY OF PASSENGERS ON HOSTILE
 MERCHANT SHIPS.
WAR ON ENGLISH SHIPPING
cermanys Foreign Secretary De cIares This is Brought About by German Civilian Population.

Berlin, via Tue Hague to Loldon, Feb. 9-l0:35 D. m.-Gottlieb Vou Jagow the German foreign secretary. who is paying a snort visit to Berlin during the absence of Emperor Will liam on the eastern front, today re- ceiyed the correspondent of the Asso- ciated Press and explained to him the nature of the recently announced German naval measures to be taken against hostile commercial shipping over which he said there seemed to be some misapprehensiOn abroad ow- ing to the delay il the transmission of the memorandum accompanying the proclamation The phrase sub marine blockade" as used in the press discussion of the proclamation abroad the foreign secretary said perhaps also was responsible for this misap. prehension
 The announcement February f of Admiral Von Pohl. chief of the ad miralty staff was not declaration of a blockade said Herr Von JagCw, confirming an earlier statement by the admiralty to the Associated Press.
 "All questions as to it's validity promised on thls theory therefore are excluded The admiralty proclama- ton by designaation of waters around Great Britain and Ireland as war era. announces Germany's in- tentiOn to conduct war operations in this region and particularly to de- strov commercial ships of the enemy
 England months ago declared in similar fashion the whole of the North sea a war area. German war. ships heretofore have destroyed mer- chant ships belonging to the enemy only when there was every certainty that their passengers and crew could get away safely. But in the future this forebearalce must be subordi- mated to military considerations and that England by measures inadmis- sible under international law has par alyzed neutral commerce with Ger many il an attempt Co force upon fine German civilization population death by starvation.
 "Anyhbw,' Herr No1 Jagow contiu- ned. hostile merchantmen have no claim to consideration if as in part al ready has been the ease, they are armed or offer resistance to the Ger. man naval officers. Since the British admiralty on January 3l instructed British merchantmen to use neutral flags. neutral ships even without tax ing into consideration the unavoid- able accidents of war run the risk Of being mistaken for hostile merchant ships and of falling victims to attacks intended for these ships.
 Tt was to this danger that the an nouncement particularly called atten- ton
 "The German naval forces have or course received orders to use no vio- lence against neutral ships so far as these are recognizable as such but this confidential instruction by the British admiralty as to the use Of ne0' tral flags makes such Identification matter of extreme difficulty
 Neutral shipping can, therefore ogly be urgently warned again as il the earlier announcements, to avoid the indicated war zone until further notice"
 No protests. according to Herr Nol Iagow. have been received from neu. tral states concerning the admiralty measure, although several of them, he said, had applied for information as to it's scope.