The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-02-11


Berlin (by wireless to Sayvilie),
Feb. 6.-The chief admiral of the staff
Of the German navy has issued the fol-
lowing official communication:
England in on the eve of shipping
numerous troops and large quantities
of war material to France. Against
these English transports we will pro
coed with all the means of warfare a:
our disposal.
Neutral shipping is earnestly cat
toned against approaching the north.
ern or the western coast Of France,
as in these waters such vessels would
run the serious danger of being con
founded with ships whose purposes
are warlike.
is around Scotland"
A Most Serious Development.
Washington, Feb. 6.-Germany's
declaration of a naval war zone around
Great Britain and Ireland, including
the English Channel and the northern
passage of the Shetland islands, is re-
garded here as one of the most seri-
GUS developments of the war.
1t was regarded as highly possible,
for one thing, that it would hasten
the movement begun by the Latin
American countries for a speedy con-
ference of neutral states to devise
means to reduce losses to neutral
commerce to a minimum. This move
ment, it is expected, will have the sup
port of the European neutrals.
At first there were some limitations
in administration circles that the dec
laration might be the subject of a pro-
test by the United States, but the Of
ncials view developd that there was
little or no ground for that.
England Is Stirred.
London, Feb. 6.-Although referring
sarcastically to Germany's threat to
bottle up the British Isles by means
of submarines as a paper blockade"
England is stirred by this latest de
velopment as it seldom has been since
the outbreak of hOstilities.
The press unanimously su~bordinates
all other war news, not excepting the
Turkish attempt to cross the Suez can
al, to give prominence to the dispatch
es from Berlin, while the foreign Of
fee statement, following quickly the
publication of the German decree, in
dicates that the government authori-
ties take the German threat as one re-
curing a prompt counterstroke.
The German press halls this newly
announced policy of the navy with
great satisfaction.
Some English newspapers declare
| that the German announcement
| should, IN the end, benefit England, in
that it rightfully entities the British
government to declare c~ontraband all
foodstuffs destined for Germany.
To Order Destroyers Home.
The British statement says the au.
| thorities are considering more strin-
gent measures against German trade"
1t is reported on good authority that
| orders for part Of a British fiotilla of
| destroyers to detach itself from the
| North sea ieet and report for duty In
waters nearer home will be issued.
Call German Threat a Bluff.
Part of this destroyer fleet, it is ex-
| pected, will be assigned the task of
sweeping the seas free of German sub
marines. Others will be detailed to
convoy merchantmen after Feb. is,
when the German admiralty decree
becomes effective, until such time as
| the admiralty is positive that the Ger
man undersea terrors no longer men,
ace shipping. 1t is possible that a
few British cruisers of the Royal type
will be assigned to convoy duty TO
allay the fears of timid shipowners.
Admiralty ~shipowners frankly de-
clare the latest German threat a bluff.
Neither admiralty officials nor repre-
sentatives of the big shipping inter-
ests would concede for the moment
that Germany could carry out its threat
to shut off England's food supplies.
Britain turned its eyes toward
America. What the United States will
say to the German admiralty's announ
cement that neutral ships may be en-
d~angered by German submarines was
considered only second in importance
to the German proclamation itself.