Evening star., 1915-02-24
Suggestions to Britain and
Germany, Due to Warfare on
Shipping, Not Made Public.
MAY INVOLVE FOOD
DISTRIBUTION, HOWEVER
Anxiety for American Commerce In
creased Because of Destruction
of Steamer Carib.

| formal proposals made by the United
| States to Great Britain and Germany
| regarding submarine Warfare against
mercantile shipping and for an under
standing on the question of foodstuffs
for the belligerent nations.
| While interest in this latest develop
ment of Americas effort to safeguard
lives and property rights of United
| States citizens is tense, other i'm
| portant events in this connection to-
| day are: Receipt of official confirma-
| ton of the sinking of the second
American steamer. the Carib: contin-
of the boatload of men from the
| American steamer Evelyn. and an
| nouncement that the government war
| risk bureau plans to reduce some of
| and Carib by salvage of their cotton
| cargoes.
Official notice of the sinking of the
Carib was received at the State De-
American Minister Van Dyke at The
! Hague:
| ''Carib reported sunk in North sea
| outside route prescribed by German in
structions.'
May Have Been Picked Up.
Thick weather in the North sea is be-
|
information regarding the missing
boatload from the Evelyn, but officials
| here feel that the chances are good
| that If the second mate and his men
| already have not landed on the Holland
coast at some point remote from tele-
graph communication. they have been
picked up by one of the many trawlers.
which frequent the waters Off the
| mouth of the Elbe.
Secretary McAdoo of the Treasury
Department and Assistant Secretary
Peters discussed a plan with President
Wilson for salvage of the cotton car
goes of the Evelyn and Carib
| Secretary McAdoo pointed out that
cotton was not easily damaged by
| water and that if it were done it was
probable that the cause of the sinking
| of the vessels would be definitely de-
termined.
The war risk bureau will take no ac-
| ton until the owners have submitted
proofs Of the losses. Secretary McAdoo
pointed out that no insurance was
granted by the bureau on vessels car
rying contraband of war.
Nature Of Proposals Secret.
The nature of the proposals made to
| Great Britain and Germany has not
been disclosed on account of the deli
CdCy Oh tne neSOtlatlOnS.
In diplomatic circles, however, it was
| generally believed that the suggestion had
| been made that American consular repre-
7entatives or American organizations
supervise the distribution of foodstufrs
to the German civilian population. I'm
official advices from Berlin said that Am
| bassador Gerard had presented to the
German government the American pro-
Ia fnv
This latest move on the part of the
United States government, taken in
connection with the destruction of the
| American steamer Carib by mines or
submarines off the coast of Germany,
| increased official anxiety for the safety
| of American shipping. The Carib dis
aster following SO closely the wreck
| OF the steamer Evelyn is causing fears
| of complications likely to arise from
| the loss of American life by a sub
| marine attack.
| Proposals made to the belligerents
are known to be of far-reaching i'm
portance. They were embodied in a
| confidential memorandum which both
Ambassadors Page and Gerard were in
| structed by President Wilson to take
| up informally with the respective for
| eign Offices at London and Berlin. The
new communications are in no sense
| replies to the notes of Germany and
| Great Britain, though they relate to
| the same subject. They constitute
| what are described in diplomacy as
informal inquiries" and frequently, if
acceptable. become formal.
Propose Food Supervision.
Speculation as to what the sugges-
tions were was widespread in diplo-
matte quarters, but none of the ambas-
sadors and ministers here was aware,
1t was said, of their contents The
belief most commonly held, however,
was that some form of supervision over
the distribution of foodstuns to the
civilian population of Germany either
by American consular agents or Ameri-
can organizations had been proposed
1t was recalled that such proposal
was made by Germany, but could not
be put into effect without the consent
of all the belligerents.
! Germany has offered to abandon her
| submarine warfare If assured that
| ships laden with foodstuffs for Ger
| many will not be interrupted by Great
| Britain.
The general impression was that the
United States government had re-
| iterated informally to the belligerents
the seriousness with which 1t viewed
the situation, especially the possible
effect on American commerce. as a re-
suit Of the retaliatory measures OF
other. Oficials spoke guardedly. but
| with no concealment of their appre-
tensions over the situation which
| might develop II American lives were
| lost as a result of submarine attack
! To some extent this tension has been re-
! veaIed in the accidents which American
ships have met in the mine fields, though
the difficulty of fixing responsibility
for such mishaDs has prevented the
Washington government from taking a
decisive stand in the matter.
| The Carib was the second ship in
surance bureau. $z35.00o on her cargo
and $22.253 on her hull. With loss
on the Evelyn, the bureau probably
will have to pay q total Of 1853 900.
which about equals the sum collected
to date in premiums. Undoubtedly
both cases win be the subject of civil
suits for damages by the bureau.
Doubt II Capt. Smith Is Saved.
Official advices today seem to throw
some doubt on whether Capt. Smith of
the American steamer Evelyn, sunk in
the North sea by a mine. was among the
saved. and whether it is not his boat
| which is missing.
Ambassador Page at London today for
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