The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-02-16
GERMANS PURPOSE
TO LAY MINES I'm
BRITISH WATER
Neutral Commerce There Will Be
In Grave Danger
BUT COMpRCMISE is OFFERED
England Must Give Up Her Attempt
to Stsrve Germany or Her Com
merce Will Be Destroyed

| Washington, Feb. 16--With only
| three days remaining before the Ger.
| man admiralty proposes to carry in.
to effect its proclamation ordering a
submarine campaign on enemy merch-
ant ships. developments in the diplo.
matte situation moved rapidly yester
| day through the medium OF the Unit
| ed States government. custodian OF
| the diplomatic interests OF the various
belligerents. Count Won Bernstorff,
the German ambassador, delivered a
note to the United States. which was
promptly transmitted to Great Britain
in which Germany offered to recede
from her plan of destroying enemy
merchant ships, il restrictions placed
by the allies on shipments of condit
ional cont:abrand and foodstuffs des-
tined to the civilian population Of
Germany are removed
Otherwise, the note announced. Ger
many proposes to put into effect the
original proclamation adding also the
strewing of mines in waters surround
ing G-eat Britain and Ireland Alleg
ed arming OF British merchant ships
Is given by the German government
as ground for attacking enemy mer
chant ships without search or prev
ious visit. rendering merchant craft
hereafter as in the category of war
ships. The ambassadors cemmunica-
tion was sent from Berlin before the
recent government decree. taking over
by Embassador Gerard. and is sup
Elemental to the German foreign Office
memorandum on the subject OF the
new war zones
At the same time that the German
ambassador conferred with Secretar,
Bryan and Counselor Lansing, the
complete text of the British reply to
the American note of protest on neut
raj shipping. dated December26. was
received. II was laid before President
Wilson. Besides giving statistics on
neutral commerce and entering a gen.
eral denial that there had been any
unwarranted interference with legiti.
mate shipments. the note contains
statement from Great Britain that the
recen government decree, taking over
the -four and grain supply in Germany
required added precautions on the
part of the allies that conditional con
trabrand might not be permitted to
reach the armed forces of the enemy.
The document contains further state
ment of the British government on
the legal questions involved. The full
text will not be given out until after
an agreement for publication is reach
ed with the British foreign Office.
Another development which bears
directly on the submarine warfare
threatened by Germany was the dis
patching OF telegram by tie state
department yesterday to ambassador
Page instructing him to submit to the
British foreign Office evidence givel.
by the owners of the American steam
ship Wilhelmina TO prove that her car
go consists of foodstuffs destined for
noncombatants and not subject to
seizure. The suggestion is made that
unless Great Britain has sufficient
grounds, not YET advanced, for doing
otherwise, the ship be permitted at
once to proceed with her cargo to her
destination.
From the German point of view, the
Wilhelmina incident constitutes a test
case OH which revolves the entIr
question of feeding Germany. The
German ambassador here, in recent
note to the American government,
pointed out that Germany had mod
fled its decree so that imported food
stuffs would not be taken over by the
government and suggesting that Am
erican organizations, or consular ofiic-
ers be appointed to supervise the dis
tribution of the imported foodstuffs. as
q guaranty that none of the American
shipments would reach the armed fore
es OF Germany.