The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-20

Berlin, June 1s.--dvia London. June ta. 7,42 p. m.)--A statement given out by the German admiralty to the effect thnt the German submarine U-29 had been rnmmed and sunk by n British tank steamer sfter the vessel had been mn important bearing on the German American negotiations.
 German naval officers and the public at large ask how 1t Is possible for German submarines to treat merchantmen in the way requested by the United States. or to take steps to ascertain the nationality of ships displaying neutral flags in the war zt ne, so long as British captains adhere to the rules laid down by the admiralty. l The announcement published by the German admiralty regarding the fate of the U-29. which fas made in a mos- positive form. aud is if the German ad- miralty had conclusive evidence upon which to base it's statement. will, in the plnion of well informed persons here make a deeper impression on the public mind than would almost any other pos sible event.
 Captain Was Popular Captain Weddigen, the commander of the T % --fas popular hero .ss Ger many, ranking in popular esteem with the army leader, Field Marshal von Him denburg. The loss of rne German under sea boat under the circumstances. prom
 ment Germans say, undoubtedly will stiffen the nation in the belief that 1t Ia
 impossible to introduce any changes in submarine methods so long as Great Britain does not at least withdraw its in- structions regarding neutral flags and att tacks upon submarines.
 Under the headline of "Weddigen and the American Note" the Kreuz zeitung
 in a leading article today resumes con sideration of submarine warfare. The newspaper declares that the fate of the G-29. as announced by the German ad- miralty demonstrates the danger of first Investigating and then sinking ships and raises the assumption that German suc- cesses would have been much greater if this condition had been discarded. "The incident further shows plainly" the newspaper continues. what meaning Amercas 8 demand has that submarines should not torpedo even enemy merchant men without first halting and searching them. It would be q complete surrender of the advantage due to technical su- periority of the German submarines and that Is not possible.
 Respect America, But We have all due respect for Americas business interests, but we must reserve the right to try to keep American am- muntion from our enemies without scruple and with all the means at our disposal. and to cause every conceivable damage to Great Britain In the war of destruction which 1t forced upon us
 Therefore. the American demand to render ineffective our submarine war | against every ship carrying American passengers Is for us wholly impossible" Count Reventlow. the naval critic. in a leading article along similar vein. says:
 ''It Is a moral duty to extract every possible advantage from the submarine weapon. Germany cannot let this weapon be shut up as in cage whose bars arc formed by threatening notes of the United States and by international regulations.
 Now Is the time for Germany to in- form the world clearly and sharply that it will not let limits and restrictions be drawn by other powers to govern tho manner of using It's submarines"