The Washington times., 1915-06-21

GREAT BRITAIN SILENT.
The British government has not re-
Piled to q single one OF these protests
despite the fact that the United States,
at the outset Of the trade reprisals be-
tween Germany and Great Britain. sub
ynittsd q vigorous blanket protest
against the misuse Of the American
nag. 4
Although the State Department claims
to have no official information to sup
port the charge made by Germany that
the German submarine U-29 was sunk
by q British liner flying a neutral flag,
the circumstantial reports that British
merchantmen, SO disguised. are attack
ing German underwater craft. have in
creased the dangers to bona fide Ameri-
The allegations upon which this gov
ernment has submitted its recent pro-
sssn the by GSSns
who. It is stated. has also called this
Govsrnment's attention to the misuse of
other neutra! nass by British merchant
To what extent this foreshadows the
to President wilson's rejoinder on ths
course, to be seen. but it is regarded as
practically certain that the German for
eign office will seize upon the alleged
praetise ,s. to emghasize ,as Its ;. consention
the exercise Of the rule OF visit and
search by German submarines attack
ing British merchanment vessels Is I'm
pcsssels Ss to os esmpy X. witt, ishs,t. psnartu.n,
finds y difficult to accept with out ,ques-
ton the German contention that the
U-2s was sunk by = British liner flying
that all on board the submarine. in
ciuding Commander Weddingen, Ger
nnany's submarine idol. whose testimony
would have been Pertinent. are report
ed to have been killed.
At the same time the department did
consider the allegations concerning the
use OF the American flag by other Brit
ish chip. a. q int &c tho
attention Of the British Government
Protesting on February 10 against the
action of the Lusitania. the same vessel
which was later sunk. In iying the
the war zone. the United States Govern
guage:
Assuming that the foregoinx reports
are true. the Government Of the United
States. reserving for future considera-
tton the legality and propriety Of the
deceptive use OF the nag OF neutral
power in any case for the purpose OF
avoiding capture, desires very respect
fully to point out to his Britannia maj
esty's government the serious conse-
quences which may result to American
vessel and American citizens IL this
practice IL continued.
A Different Thing.
The occasional use of the flag Of a
neutral or an enemy under stress OF i'm
mediate pursuit and to deceive an ap-
preaching enemy, which appears by the
press reports to be represented as the
used
port this action. seems to this Govern
ment a very different thing from an
explicit sanction by belligerent gov
eminent for it's merchant ships yener-
ally to hy the flag of q neutral power
within certain portions Of the high seas
which are presumed to be frequented
with hostile warships: -. u,o, .
policy of general misuse of neutrals
flag 5eopardizes the vessels of the neu-
tral visiting those waters In a peculiar
degree by raising the presumption that
they are OF belligerent nationality re-
gardless of the flag which they may
carry =. The Government of the
United States. therefore. trusts that Is
ma)estys government will do all In
their power to restrain vessels Of Brit
ish nationality from the deceptive use
of the flag Of the United States in the
sea area defined In the German decla
ration, since such practice would great,
would even seem to impose upon the
government Of Great Britain a measur,
OF responsibility for the loss OF Ameri
can lives and vessels in case of al
attack by German naval force.
please present note to Sir Edward
Grey in the sense of the foregoing and
impress him with the grave concern
which this government feels in the cir
cumstances in regard to the safety o.
American vessels and lives in the wal
zone declared by the German Admi
falty.
Appeals To Germany.
You moy add that this government
Is making earnest representations II
the German government in rageard t.
the danger TO American vessels anC
citizens II the declaration OF the Ger
man Admiralty Is Yit into effect
At that time Great Britain's answer
transmitted to Washington by Ambas-
sador Page, was summed up in the fol.
lowing sentence:
Great Britain has always. when neu-
tral. accorded to the vessels OF other