The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-17
AMERICA AWAITING
 GERMAN ANDBR|T|SH REPLIES ID NOTES
Diplomatic Situation Re- sultant From the Kaiser's
 Water War Zone Policy
 Admittedly Is Grave

nshtn ngtOn, February 16.-Thc uni
 ted States made no further move today in the diplomatic controversy with
 Great Britain and Germany over the
 use of neutral flags, the submarine csn,-
 raiEn on merchantmen and the ship
 ment of foodstsfFs to Germany. official,
 awaited formal replies from Great Brit- ain and Germany to the recent a,ncr,- can notes on the subject.
 Ambassador Page at London and Am l bassador Gerard at Berlin sent dispatches to the state department telling of informal conferences with the high officials of Great Britain and Germany respectively. but did not indicate that the former in
 tended to alter it's policy on shipments
 of conditional contraband to civilians, or
 that the latter would recede from it's announced intention of waging a subma
 rine war on enemy merchant ships. Ambassador Gerard reported that Ger
 man officials were friendly and disposed to take into consideration the embarrass-
 ment of the United States and other neu : trals in the situation
 Situation Grave
 While awaiting answers to the yarious
 American communications, high officials
 here admitting the gravity of the diplo-
 matic situation, were disinclined to dis cuss future steps or policy. One sugges-
 tion of the German government-that
 American organizations or consular off,
 ficers supervise the distribution of food
 stuffs as guarantee of it's delivery to
 cfviiians-seeps to be set with more diff faculties than were originally evident, While making 1t clear that the subject
 had not been considered formally, officials stated that such a procedure could be un- dertaken by the United States only with the acquiescence of all the belligerents. The situation in Belgium and in Ger many proper were in this respect held by state department officials to be analo- gous. It was revealed. however. that be- fore Minister Whitlock snd American or ganizations were permitted to supervise food distribution in Belgium tho consent of Germany as well as Great Britain ha $ been obtained. For neutral government to assist the civilian population of bel- ligerent to to obtain supplies without the SOuScil VI l1lc OLucT Dell1BeTenIS WO1lO be unneutral, according to American of ficials.
 But while the situation presents many difficulties officials are still hopeful that an understanding on the question of food
 stuffs will be reached which may avert the necessity which Germany declares
 will ensue for making war on enemy mer-
 chant ships.
 England's Position
 The British government mas made its
 position clear on the principles under
 which conditional contraband will not be
 interfered with when destined to civilians in an enemy country: while the German
 government has stated that if 1t can get a
 food supply for it's civilian population it will recede from it's submarine cam paign.
 These declarations contain no concur renee of views but officials say there is always the possibility that through the good offices of an intermediary a common ground for an understanding may be reached.
 In this connection the British supple mentary note, replying to the American note of protest about contraband and ship ping generally. was laid before President Wilson today. It contains a lengthy argu- ment on the subject of American shipping and concludes with observations on the subject of conditional contraband and
 tho decree taking over the supply of -four 1R Germany by tho government.
 |