Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-13
WASHINGTON INSISTS
ON SUFFICIENT SAFETY
Placing OF Passengers and Crew In
Small Boats Does Not Meet
Requirements.
GERMANY is SO INFORMED
Another Note Is Dispatched to Berlin
In Controversy Over Destruction OF
William u. Frye-Language Is Not
Intended as Demand
Especial to The Times-Dispatch. ]

Especial to The Times Dispatch.J
WASHINGTON. October 12-The State
Department to-day dispatched the an
swer OF this government to Germanys
last note Offering n plan for the settle
mont CT the controversy over the sink
ing OF the American merchantmen VIII
liam p. Frye by the German auxiliary
cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich
The salient features Of the American
| reply was:
This government .ie!ds on the con-
tention that Germany, under tho Prus-
sian treaties OF 17s9-ls2S. has right
to sink an American merchantmen
laden with contraband. The United
States cor codes this right conditionallv
In CAGES of necessity.
The United States agrees that the
value OF the hull Of the Frye may be
arbitraico by commission Of two. one
t" be appointed by each government.
DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE
SMALL BOATS ARE SAFE
The United States asserts. however
that II does not acknowledge that put
, ting the passengers and crew Of prizes
OF destroyed vessels into small boats
carries out the intent and purpose Of
the provisions Of the Declaration Of
London which cover tho subject of the
safety OF noncombatants.
State Department officials say that
there Will be further discussion Of the
latter proposition. They admit that in
previous notes Germany has been com
plimented officially on her disposition
OF crews and passengers. but II is not
yet assumed by this government that
all submarine vessels can perform the
service Of seeing that passengers md
crew are taken TO place of safety.
The United States insists. as in all
other notes. that warning be given to
vessels before attack, and that where
there is no resistance the general rule
applies that noncomhatants be placed
In safety
The noic makes the further point
that as the case OF the Frye is one
arising under special controversies be-
tween Germany and the United States
this government has right to make
specific the terms under which the set
Element is to be secured.
The general opinion OF officials who
have discussed the note is that way
VIII be found hy which the United
states and Germany wnl agree on the
measures TO be taken for the safety of
passengers, inasmuch as Germany has
declared for the principle.
! NOTE ONLY INTENDED
TO GET GERMAN VIEW
! officials say that the language OF the
tsnote. referring to the care. OF passep1
gers Is not "a demand"zon Germany
but a statement IN order TO secure tina
German view on a question which has
not been raised heretofore.
y close paraphrase Of this paragraph
OF the note. obtained from high source.
is AZ follows:
LAS the German government has adj
v!sed the United States that IT will
abid" by the Declaration Of London a..
to treatment of passenger ships carry
ing actual contraband, this government
does not understand that the Declara-
! tion Of London means that the safety Of
passengers and crew can he accom-
plished by allowing such passengers
and crew 10 take 70 tho small boats"
The state Department will arrange
for tho publication of the note after
the receipt by the German Foreign OF
fec. II requires about two days TO
get such documents from Washington
to Berlin.