Evening star., 1915-02-13
GERMANY RECEIVES
AMERICAN PROTEST
Unofficial Advices Say Note Is
Delivered by Ambassador
Gerard in Berlin.
TEUTON GOVERNMENT
MAKES NO COMMENT
Believed Great Britain Will Give
Assurances of No Intention to
Sanction Use of Neutral Flags.


Administration officials had unofficial
Information today of the presentation
Of the American note to the German
government concerning the German sea
war zone proclamation. The communi-
cation was delivered to the German for
eign secretary last night by Ambas-
eador Gerard, at Berlin
The unofficial advices were to the
effect that officials of the German gov
ernment had declined for the present
TO comment on the note, except to say
that it was couched in friendly Ian
guage 1t was suggested that the Ger
man reply which would be made in due
course proba bly, would contend that its
action was fully justified because of
the attempt of Great Britain to starve
on the German nation. women and
children, as we'll as soldiers
The note to Germany and also that to
Great Britain pointing out the danger to
neutral shipping if any unJuStihed gen
eral use Of the American flag continued
TO absorb attention in official and dipio-
matte quarters today. Many officials
believed that the United States would be
assured by Great Britain that II mas
no intention of sanctioning general use
of neutral flags by British merchant
ships.
Believe Britain Will Act.
That Great Britain would give assur-
ances of no intention to sanction the gen
erai use of neutral flags by British mer-
chant ships was the belief of many Off
Gals But the widest sort of speculation.
based on a variety of conceptions OF Ger
many'S plans in wag1ng a submarine war
on merchant ships. was heard as to the
probable response Of the Berlin foreign
office.
Count Won Bernstorff, the German
ambassador, declined to discuss the
note to Germany, as he had received
no advices from Berlin concerning 1t,
and the British embassy was also ST.
lent.
What excited most attention in Con-
gress and among diplomats. however.
was the serious tone of the notes, even
though qualified by the polite terms Of
diplomatic usage.
States government to have the Ameri-
can flag used only by ships entitled to
hy 1t. and the warning that Germany
would be held ito strict accountable
lost in the attacks on merchant vessels
in the newly delimited sea zones of
war, were practically the sole topics of
discussion in executive and congress
sional quarters. as well as among the
ambassadors and ministers of belliger-
ent and neutral nations
Both Notes Approved.
While there were no authorized ex-
pressions, 1t was evident that the neu-
trail diplomats in general gave both
notes their approval because of the
identity of interest of their govern
ments and the United States in the cir
cumstances. The opposition of a pow
erfui neutral government to the
practices suggested by the Lusitania
incident or the threatened attacks on
merchant vessels was considered as
likely to have most beneficial effect
and there were suggestion that the
argument of the American government
would be followed in a joint protest to
both Germany and Great Britain by the
three Scandinavian countries, as we'll
as separate representations from the
other neutrals of Europe
Discussing comments upon differences
in the two notes, high officials of the
government said the cases were not
parallel, as the United States had lit
tie ground in international law for pro-
test against the occasional use of a
neutral flag by belligerent when es-
voiced against the general misuse of
the neutral ensign could be raised only
on general moral principles or on the
ground of unneighborliness and serious
Inconvenience rather than on any def
mite rule Of international Law.
BASED on freCeQentS.
As for the communication to Ger
many. administration officials who
helped prepare the document empha-
sized the point that the American
government proceeded ON the firm
ground of international right as it has
been a long-established principle, they
zaidk based on innumerable precedents
that merchant vessel without means
OF protecting itself must be visited
first by an enemy warship and given
an opportunity to surrender or save
its passengers before violence is ap-
piled
Again IL was declared that the neces.
sity for strong warning was mos,
compelling. lest the sinking of ar
American vessel or loss of American
lives give rise to a critical situation
with alarming possibilities
Interest in the situation was height
ened by the addition of another diplo
matte difficulty with Germany over thu
Interference by German military au
thorities with mail communicat tions O.
American Minister Henry Van Dyk,
between The Hague and Luxembourg.
y formal inquiry was sent to Berlin
concerning the incident and officials
hoped II would be satisfactorily ad
1usted. relying on the uniform courtesy
hitherto manifested by the German
government IN dealing with Minister
Whitlock at Brussels and other Ameri-
can officials In the war zones