Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-05-28
DISTURBED BY
CONTINUANCE OF ATTACKS
ON NEUTRAL VESSELS.
NO MERCHANT SHIP
TO BE HELD IMMUNE
Wilson Still Hopes Germany Will
Agree to Refrain From Attacks on
American Vessels or Foreign Ships
Carrying ericans-Bernstorff De-

washington, May 2S.-lntelligence OF
the torpedoing of more merchant
| steamers in the war zone convinces
! administration officials that Germany
has decided TO continue it's submarine
!, warfare upon commerce despite the
| American protest.
! This development leaves only the
hope that Germany will give required
assurance that there shall be no re-
currence or attacks on American ships
| or of the killing Of American non
cambatants OH enemy vessels. That
Germany. tho declining to abandon en-
tirely it's submarine warfare on ship
ping, will give such assurances is the
semi official information cabled from
| Berlin to Washington.
The two ships reported sunk by
German submarines today were the
Morwenna Of Montreal British
steamer bound from Liverpool to sgd
ney, and the Betty, Dutch vessel.
The Morwenna was caught south Of
the Scilly isles and not only torpedoe !,
but shelled by the submarine. One
member Of the steamers crew was
killed and three inj,n ed. The others
were picked up by a Belgian trawler.
The Betty was torpedoed in the North
sea and the crew reached Newcastle
safely in their boats.
No Merchant Ships Immune.
Whatever assurances Germany may
or may not give in response to Presi-
dent Wilson's demands, these occur
rences indicate that neither neutral or
belligerent merchant vessels are to be
immune from submarine attacks in the
future. If Germany promises that the
safety of Americans henceforth shall
not be jeopardized and if thereafter
Americans lose their lives as the result
of submarine attacks on merchant YES
sells, the United States will be re-
quired to act upon the conclusion that
such assurances are valueless.
In any event the continued attacks
on neutral vessels are likely to draw
the United States and other neutral
nations together in an effort to compel
Germany to abandon its submarine
warfare on commerce altogether in
accordance with President Wilson's ut
terances in the Lusitania note to the
effect that the submarine can not be
used against shipping without viola
ton of the laws Of justice and human
ity.
Holland, Sweden and Norway view
the submarine warfare as does the
United States. 1t is possible that they
would unite with the American govern
ment in adopting stronger measures
to obtain immunity for neutral vessels
Doubt on Nebraskan Affair.
Responsibility for the injury to the
Nebraskan, the American steamer
til, etr
south of Ireland, remains undeter-
mined.
According to naval officers here, It
probab bly, will be possible to determine
the cause of the injury at once for the
reason that torpedo pierces the hull
of a vessel and explodes outwardly
while a mine explosion blows the hull
inwardly. The attorney for the own
ers Of the injured steamer expressed
the opinion that the Nebraskan hit a
mine. He based his opinion on the ac-
count given of the injury to the bow
of the vessel
Reports current here were that the
Nebraskan had been chartered by the
British admiralty as naval collier
and that on the outward bound voyage
il carried war munitions from America
to England under charter by the White
Star line.
German Envoy Denies Blanc.
Count Won Bernstorff, the German
am bassador, believes that neither a
German torpedo nor German mine
caused the injury to the Nebrakan. His
reason for this belief, SO far as mines
| are concerned, was expressed In the
following note which he delivered to
Acting Secretary Of State Lansing:
With reference to a report which ]
read in the press this morning l beg
to say that, according to official in
formation received from our admiralty
the German mines laid In the sea are
of a nature that they become inocuous