New Britain herald., 1915-01-25
WILLING TO ARRANGE
 FOR BELGIAN C0NSULS
United States Government Sends
 Formal Note to Germany.

Washington, Jan. 25.--The United States has sent g formal note to Ger many, which, without discussing the sovereignty of Belgium, expresses a willingness to make such arrange ments as may be necessary with the German military authorities in de facto control of Belgian territory for the continuance of American consular services there.
 The American note should have been delivered in Berlin by today.
 Although the first note from Ger many did not explicitly raise the is sue, officials of the Washington gov ernrnent in making their reply care fully avoided any expression which could be construed as a political rec ogition of Germany's control of Bel gium.
 l.. $. Decision Awaited.
 The decision of the United States has been awaited by Central and South American governments, who in structed their diplomatic representa- tives here to discuss it in the Pan American Union The note from the German foreign office, sent identical lv to all neutral governments, an-
  neutral consuls had 'expired.
 No reference was made in either the German note or the American reply to the status of diplomatic of fcers American Minister Brand Whitlock will continue at Brussels, where he is in active charge of Bel gian relief work.
 Commercial Representative.
 In it's reply the United States de- clares that it considers a consul not a political but "a commercial repre- sentative" who derives permission to do business irrespective of his legal right, from the authorities Tn direct control of the district to which he IS assigned. In view of the German military occupation the United States further asserts that it lis not inclined to question at this time the right or Germany to suspend exequaturs.
 The language of the American note reveals that this government consid- CTS the exequaturs originally issued by the Belgian government to have been "suspended' and not "eXpired as characterized in the German com munication. This construction is Tn accord with similar phraseology used by the United States on previous oc- casions.
 Agreeable to Germans.
 While not questioning the German governments military occupation, the American note presumes that the American consular officers at Brus- seis Antwerp and Liege, are person. ally agreeable to the German authorl- ties. If they are not, the commun1- cation asks that the Washington gov- ernment be promptly informed. It does not state whether new consuls would in that case be designated to replace them.
 Until today the exact contents of the first German note, a subject or much discussion was not revealed. The German government announced that exequaturs held by neutral con- suits were considered as having ex- pired but stated that the issuance or new exequaturs was not "advisable" and that temporary recognition would be given by the German for eign office to those consuls who were to be continued in their official ca pacity of those who might be desig- mated anew in which case the Ger man government reserved the right to investigate their personal charac- ter and record.
 Permitted to Act.
 Tn Brussels, Antwerp and Llege, alone were neutral consults to be per 1nitted to act, the remainder of Bel gian territory being described in the note as "within the zone of military operations"
 The only American consulate thus affected is at Ghent which was aban- doned early during the German oc- cupation.