The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1915-02-07
GERMANY WILL NOT
MOLEST ANY Of
j. s. SHIPS
ANNOUNCED THAT VESSELS WITH
FoODSTUFFS FOR ENEMY WILL
NOT BE SElZED-CHANNEL NOT
TO BE CLOSED.

WASHINGTON. Feb 6.-The Ger
man embassy declared in statement
issued today, in regard to the decree
placing the waters around the Brit
ish Isles in the war zone. that Ger
many does not intend to modest or
seize American vessels laden with
foodstuffs for the civilian population
of enemy countries"
The statement expresses hope that
England will not make necessary a
reconsideration of this attitude by
sei2ing American ships like the WilA
helmina."
The statement follows:
THE German ambassador has not
received instructions regarding the
decision of the German admiralty,
but according to the text of the de-
cision the following seems clear:
There is nothing now in the com
munication made on February by the
German admiralty with respect to the
attitude of the German imperial navy
toward ships of the enemy or. toward
neutral commerce. 1t Is absurd to
describe this as the proclamation of a
paper blockade of the British Isles.
The communication is simply a state
ment of what has been since the be-
ginning of the war, the attitude of
the navies of all of the beligerent
powers toward ships of the enemy
"A few months ago the English
admiralty proclaimed the closing Of
the North Sea, the waters of which
are essentially neutral. Germany
does not profess to close even the
English channel to neutral commerce,
and she roes not intend to modest or
seize American vessels laden with
foodstuffs for civilian population of
enemy countries il Is to be hoped
that England will not make necessary
reconsideration of this attitude by
Selling American ships like the Will
helmina
Germany does, however, announce
TO the world that ii proposes to con
tinue to destroy ships belonging to
the enemy, and 1t adds the notifica-
tion to neutral powers that on ac.
count of the fact that British ships
arc employing nen.ra! !!aSa, accord
ing to secret instructions now known
to have been issued by the British
government, bona fide neutral vessels
may be endangered.
Although, according to well.
understood and acknowledgements
usages of warfare, naval vessels are
perfectly justified in destroying mer-
chantmen OF the enemy, the German
government now sees tit to issue sim
ply general reminder to that effect,
stating the actual radius of operations
of the German submarines.
"The warning may also be taken
as in the nature of an answer to the
offer of prize of 500 pounds made
in England for the first British mer-
chant ship that should succeed in
and sinking a German sub
marine, an offer calculated to revive
the long-abandoned practice Of pri-
The state department today had
received no reply from Ambassador
Gerard to the inquiry sent to him
by wireless asking for the
precise text OF the German order.
Neither had the German embassy
here received It officially. Chevalier
Van Rappard, minister from The
conferred with Acting
Secretary Lansing at the state depart
ment. He said he had no instructions
from his government yet and was
simply preparing himself to report,
when called upon, the probable at
titude of the United States toward
Germany's action.
It app cared that the minister's pur-
pose was to ascertain for his own
government the likelihood of pro-
test by the United States.
Until the United States receives Of
ficially information 1t Is asking from
Berlin there will be no announce
ment of its course