Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1915-02-19
ANNOUNCE READINESS TO RE.
cEpE IF ENGLAND WILL AL.
LOW IMPORTATION OF
FOOD TO GERMANY.
CHURCHILL INTlMATES
ALLIES WILL STOP SHIPS
British Merchant Vessels Are Being
Armed and Would Try to Sink
Submarines, According TO lnfor-
nation Reaching Berlin
Held to BE Warships.

k-OFldGbiE r CRs iGt~-tU q SsGt ICltISlIk w
the house of commons, Winston Spen-
Ger Churchill, first lord of the admir-
atty, intimated that further action
would be taken by the allies 70 pre-
vent the importation Of foodstuffs in
neutral ships to Germany.
Washington, Feb. 16.-Count Johann
Won Bernstorff, the German ambassa-
dor, has presented TO the state de-
partment a note from his government
announcing that Germany stands
ready to consider receding from it's
announced intention Of attacking Brit
ish merchantmen if Great Britain viii
withdraw it's efforts to prevent food.
gtuffs from going to Germany for the
civilian population.
The note declares that Germany's
plan to attack British merchantmen
was q retaliatOry measure adopted be-
cause of the alleged violation of inter.
national law by Great Britain in try,
ing to starve the nonc0mbatant pOpu.
lation of Germany, and that the lat,
ter government is ready to withdraw
from its purpose as expressed in the
naval war zone decree as far as it ap.
plies to merchant vessels, as soon as
Great Britain, either of it's own wolf,
ton, or as a result of representations
from the neutrals, expresses its own
willingness to return to the usual
practices Of international law on the
question Of fOOdstuffS.
Claims British Ships Armed.
The German note adds that the Der.
lin government has information that
English merchant vessels are being
armed and have orders to sail in
groups for protection and further that
they would try to sink submarines.
1t declared that there was now nc
question of searching them, but the re,
suit would be that German ships
would fight them because they are
now held to be warships.
The note declares further that Great
Britain. according to the information
of Germany, intended to use neutral
flags and that therefore neutral ship
ping would be in danger in the war
zone. It was urged, therefor >, that
meanwhile neutral shipping observe
tn request Of Germany and go around
the north Of Scotland in the course
of which had been declared outside
the war zone.
Not Reply to u. S. Note.
It was stated that the note received
by the ambassador from his foreign
office and carried by him personally
to the state department was not re
ply to the recent American note to
Germany in regard to the war zone
decree. A more comprehensive and
detailed reply to that communication
is expected soon, although it was not
known officially here when il might
be looked for.
The note from Germany, is was
pointed out, constitutes sort of in
termediary reply possibly presented
to this government because Of the
fact that the date when the war zone
decree goes into effect, Feb. IS, is sc
close at hand.
America is playing what state de
partment officials call humanitari
an role toward Great Britain aud Ger
many, in efforts to straighten out the
food shipments tangle arising from
Germans vow of vengeance on Eng
land ana incidental threat that Ameri
can commerce would become invol
we'd.
If the United States does take {
hand, it will be on the ground tina
British detention of American foot
cargoes, Germany-bound, lays Ameri
can shipping open to German sub
marine peril. But behind this, Officials
limited, will be the humanitarian ide;
of saving both Britain and German
from themselves.