Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-02-06
Germany Reassures United
States Neutral Vessels
Are Free to Sail.
LESS DRASTIC AS
ORDER is REVIEWED
Is Only Extension Of Present Policy to
Greater Area, According to German
Emhassy's Interpretation - Two
Steamship Routes to Northern Eur
ope Left Open-Gerard Sends Text
/. of Admiralty Proclamation.

Washington, Feb. 6-The German
, embassy declared today In regard to
the decree placing the waters around
the British Isles in the war zone, that
Germany does not intend to seize
American ships laden with food stuffs
for the civilian population of warning
nations.
The statement expresses the hope
| that England will not make it neces-
sary to reconsider the necessity of
seizure of ships like the Wilhelmina.
The statement in full follows:
! rThe German ambassador has not
received instructions regarding the
decision of the German admiralty, but
! according to the text of the decision
the following seems clear.
Says It's Nothing New.
There is nothing new in the declar-
alton of Feb. with respect to the at
titude of the German imperial navy to-
ward ships of the enemy or toward the
ships of neutral commerce. 1t is
absurd to term this paper blockade OF
the British Isles This is the attitude
of the navy of all of the belligerent
| powers toward ships Of the enemy.
"A few months ago the British ad-
! miralty proclaimed the closing of the
North Sea. Germany does not profess
! to close even the English channel to
| neutral commerce, and she does not in
| tend to molest or seize American food
stuffs for the civil population of Euro
/; pean countries. 1t is to be hoped that
/, England will not makes necessary a
:! reconsideration of this attitude by
! seizing American ships like the Will
! helmina.
Use Of Neutra! Flags.
| Germany does, however announce
! that it proposes to continue to destroy
/ ships of the enemy, and adds that on
] account of the fact that British ships
| are employing neutral flags, according
! to instructions issued by the British
government, bona fide neutral ships
may actually be endangered.
| "Altho under the usages Of warfare
naval vessels are perfectly justified in
I destroying the merchantmen of the
! enemy, the German government now
! sees fit to issue reminder of that po-
! sition, stating the actual radius of OPP
erations of the German submarines.
| British Offer Arouses Germans.
! "The warning also may be taken as
| in the nature of an answer to the offer
Of a prize of 500 pounds made in Eng
! land for the first British merchantship
| that should succeed in ramming and
sinking German submarine, an offer
! calculated to establish the old prac
tice of privateerns.
v. S. Protest Expected.
| Chevalier Van Pappard minister from
the Netherlands, conferred with Acting
Secretary Lansing at the state depart
ment, He said he had no instructions
from his government as yet and was
simply preparing to report. when called
upon, the probable attitude of the
United States government toward Ger
many's order.
It appears he would ascertain for his
own government the likelihood of a pro-
test from the United States.
Until the United States receives the
information asked from Berlin there
will be no announcement of it's course
Two Routes Left Open.
The official text of the German ad
miralty proclamation, transmitted by
Ambassador Gerard, reveals that nav
igation routes to the north Of the Shet-
Hand Islands and the eastern part OF
the North sea as well as a strip of
thirty nautical miles along the Dutch
coast are not in the danger zone, but
that the waters directly around Great
Britain and Ireland comprise the pro
hibited area.
Reports Conflict.
The wireless report of the official
admiralty proclamation said:
shipping northward around the
Shetland islands and in strip of at
least thirty nautical miles and a
breadth along the Dutch coast is en-
dansered in the same way
The text Of the same as received from
Mr.. Gerard, says:
Navigation routes around the Shet-
Hand islands and for thirty sea miles
along the Dutch coast are not in the
danger zone.
In other respects the proclamation
conforms with the sense of it as sent to
the United States by wireless.
State department officials indicate &
THAT the proclamation as received from
Mr.. Gerard would be made public latel
TODAY. The German foreign office had
accompanied the proclamation with q
Hong explanatory memorandum which
Mr.. Gerard reported he would send sub
seauently. The proclamation itself
makes it clear that all enemy ships
found in the zone of operation" as the
areas are described, will be destroyed
land points out that contingencies may
arise which may make 1t impossible al.
ways to save passengers and crews.
Meaning Not Vet Clear.
AS for neutral vessels venturing into
the war zone, the dangers to which
they may be exposed is by reason O
use Of neutral flags by belligerent ships
it is said.
4 II the areas prescribed are defined as
within the territoriai water uf fIfesa
Britain and Ireland, different situa-
tion may arise from that which would