Evening star., 1915-02-17
ENGLAND AWAITING
MOVE BY GERMANS
AGAINST SHIPPING
"BIockade" of British Coast Is
Due to Become Effective
at Midnight.
REPLY TO U. S. PROTEST
IS DELIVERED TO GERARD
German Official Note Expected to Be
Forwarded Today to
Washington.
SOME SHIPS CANCEL SAILINGS
Neutral Vessels, as a Rule, Will
Trust Safety to National Colors
Painted Conspicuously on
Their Sides.
REPLY TO U. S. PROTEST
IS DELIVERED TO GERARD
SOME SHIPS CANCEL SA1LINGs

BERLIN, via London, Febru-
ary II, 1880 a.m.-Germanys
reply to the United States note OF
protest against the regulations
proposed for a war zone in the
waters around the British Isles
had been handed to Ambassador
lanes w. Gerard, and probably
will be forwarded to Washington
today.
In Effect at Midnight.
LONDON, February II. 12:47 pm
At the stroke of midnight the waters
surrounding the coasts of the United
Kingdom will become. so far as lies
within the power of Germany to make
them, a war zone, which all vessels,
neutral or otherwise, will penetrate at
their peril.
Some of the services across the chan
mel probabI will be curtailed. but a
majority of the neutral shipping lines
will accept the risk and continue their
sailings. The names and nationality
of the vessels and the flags of their ma
tions will be painted on their sides, in
the hope that German submarines will
not sink them by mistake
England Awaits Action.
England's announcement of the de-
tails of her proposed retaliatory policy.
by which she plans to shut of the Ger
man food supply from the outside. is
expected momentarily, and apparently
there is not the slightest prospect that
this country will accept the German
proposal to call OF the blockade If
England will relax naval pressure on
shipping.
1t is not expected that there will be
any Immediate and widespread activity
by the German submarines. but the de-
velopments regarding neutral ships
should bring to a head one of the most
interesting and threatening situations
of the war.
Supreme Warning" Issued.
Under the headline, supreme warn
,ng," says an Amsterdam dispatch to
the Exchange Telegraph Company, the
German papers publish a semi-of1icial
communication once more warning all
neutral ships to avoid the war zone es-
tabIished in the water surrounding the
British Isles.
1~Y
dam correspondent is authority for the
statement that the Batavia and Zee
land shipping lines and services be-
tween Folkestone and Flushing will be
suspended for few days after Thurs
day, February is, the date on which
Germany announced its determination
10 begin a blockade of British waters.
Page Calls on Grey.
waissr Hines Page. the American am
bassador. conferred yesterday with Sir
Edward Grey. the British foreign secre-
ta5y. concerning the German note offer
ing 10 oeAss attacks on British ships If
Great Britain will permit foodstuffs for
the civilian population to enter Germany
Mr. Page and Sir Edward also discus
Ssd the steamer wilhelmina. loaded with
Falmouth for q pr1Ee court. and the status
Of which has not Jet been determined
The British government has evidenced
IN many ways that 1t is unterrif1ed by
threats Of attack On shipping, and that
1t has not thought of making any con-
Srary Is preparing to tighten the re-
stTictions upon freight movements
toward that country.
Threat of Reprisals.
Statements in parliament also have
indicated that it is the determinat tion
of Great Britain to make. reprisals If
Germany enforces her threat to de-
.troy merchant ships together with
their crews
Should the efforts of the commission
for the relief of Belgium to buy the
cargo of the Wiihelmina fail the evil
dence of the owners that the food is
destined to the civil population of Ger
many alone probably would be sub
rnitted to The prize court 1t is con-
evidence could - be produced which
would induce Great Britain to permit
ne food to go to Germany without the
action of any prize court
Thinks Germans Bluf6ng.
ROME. February 17-Commenting or
the diplomatic exchanges between tn.
United States and Germany on tn,
question of the submarine blockade O
England. the Giornale d'Italia says:
The German note to the United State.
.ioes not deny the rights of neutrals, o
which the great American republic ha
become the champion. nor does il re
nounce the threatened reprisals.
The German note to the United State.
revealed. All the noisy and somewha
ridiculous maneuvers of the iInaginar,
maritime blockade had for their sol.
object the compelling of neutrals I,
make their voices heard in England
asking the British government to per
NIT provisions to enter Germany. Ger
many has been asserting that the dan