Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-02-20
HOLDS FLAG USE FAIR.
Great Britain Cites Civil War Case il
pefenea Of Action.


DefenSe Of Action.
London, Feb. 20.-The British gov
ernment yesterday afternoon made
public two notes in reply to representa-
tons made by the United States-one
in response to the protest against the
use of the American flag on British
vessels and another announcing that
the cargo of the American steamer
Wilhelmina will be held for the deci-
sion of the prize court.
The note in regard to the use of the
stars and stripes on British vessels
says that the Cunard line steamer Lu-
sitania on its recent voyage from New
York to Liverpool raised the American
flag ito save the lives Of non combat
ants, crew and passengers"
Did Not Advise Y. S. Flag Use.
1t adds that, in spite Of the fact that
American passengers embarl<ing on the
Lusitania on the outward voyage for
New York asked that the American
flag be hoisted. "the British govern
ment did not give any advice to the
company as how to meet this request
and it is understood the Lusitania left
| Liverpool under the British flag"
The British memorandum makes this
| further statement:
"The British government have no in
tention of advising their merchant
shipping to use foreign flags as gen.
eral practice or to resort to them 9TH
erwise than for escaping capture or de-
struction."
Put Blame on Germany.
Both notes clearly undertake to
shift onto the shoulders of Germany re-
sponsibility for the situation that has
brought from the United States notes
Of protest to Great Britain. While
the London government disavows any
intention OF using the American flag
generally on British boats. it declinees
to forbid Specifically the use of foreign
flags by British merchant vessels seek
ing to avoid capture or destruction. 1t
indicates that such use Of flags may
lie in the discretion of vessel captains
and says that the United States in the
civil war availed itself of the British
flag without protest from England.
II neutral shipping is endangered
| under these circumstances Great Bri-
tain holds the Responsibility te be solely
GermaItys. - fs-ssss
Unyieldins on Wiihelmina.
The Britisf*note regarding the cargo
of the WilheImina is likewise unyield-
A1iS Al us CIldTdcleT. IL SeeIlS 10 INdhe
clear the purpose of Great Britain to
declare all foodstuffs for Germany con-
traband as we'll as to foreshadow other
reprisals.
After reviewing the German meth
! DDS of warfare and denouncing them
as absolute violations of all interna-
| tional usage Sir Edward Grey says:
IF, therefore, his majesty's govern
ment should hereafter feel constrained
to declare foodstuffs absolute contra
band Or to take other measures for in
terfering with German trade by way of
resprisals, they confidently expect that
such action will not be challenged on
the part Of neutral states by appeals
to laws and usages of war whose valid
ity rests on their forming an integral
part of that system of international
doctrine which as a whole their enemy
frankly boasts the intention to disre-
gard SO long as such neutral states can
not compel the German government to
abandon methods of warfare which
have not in recent history been re-
garded as having the sanction OF either
law or humanity"