The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-02-18
u. S. ASKS BRITAIN
ITO FREE STEAMER
BOUND TO GERMANY
Hryan'S Note Says Liberate Ship
or Explain.
+ TO BLOCKADE TEUToN PORTS
Winston Churchill Says Allies VII
Probably Bring Full Pressure of
Combined Navies to Bear on
Germany.

Washington, Feb 16-"Permit the
steamship Wilhelmina to proceed al
once with her cargo to her destina
ton, unless his majesty's government
can produce further grounds than thai
already advanced for doing other
wise"
This is the suggestion" forwarded
TO the British foreign Office by the
state department through Ambassa
dor Walter Hines Page at London.
With the new note was submitted
evidence furnished the state depart
ment by the owners of the Wilhelmina
to show that her cargo contains nC
contraband of war, and that there Is
no reason under international law
why Great Britain should hold up thf
vessel.
May Blockade German Ports.
London, Feb. 16.-In a statement tc
the house of commons Winston Spen
Ger Churchill, first lord of the admir-
atty, intimated that further action
would be taken by the allies to pre-
vent the importation of foodstuffs in
neutral ships to Germany.
Mr.. Churchill in introducing the
navy estimates said that efficiency
was the keynote of the admiralty e
program, and that at the beginning
of the war the supplies of ammuni
ton, men and oil we're complete
Every ship in the navy which was fl
for service, as well as new ships
which were being built for foreign
governments and armed merchant.
men, had been fully manned.
Able to Meet Foe.
I'VE should be able to meet any new
attempt with resources incomparably
superior to what we had at the be.
ginning Of the war"
Referring to Vice-Admiral Jellicoe' g
command of the sea with his feet as
Silent. unsleeping, and as yet unchal.
lenged," Mr.. Churchill said that the
admiralty had moved men at home
and abroad, including Belgian and
French troops and the wounded, to
the number of 100000, without acct.
dent or the loss Of life
Enemy to Fall Naval Power.
The task lying before US is both
anxious and grave. We are now to be
the object of warfare never before
practiced by a civilized power. So
far we have not attempted to stop the
importation of food. We have not
prevented neutral ships from trading
directly with German ports. We have
allowed German exports in neutral
ships to pass unchallenged. But the
time is near when the enjoyment Of
these immunities by state which as
matter Of deliberate policy has
placed herself outside of international
obligations must be reconsidered.
"A further declaration on the part
Of the allied governments will be
made. which will have the effect of
applying for the first time the full
force of naval pressure on the enemy
1T must not be supposed that be
cause the attack is extraordinarily
good a reply cannot be made. Losses
no doubt will be incurred, but l be.
!!eve no vital injury can be done"
The foreign Office announced defin.
itely that If the cargo of the Ameri.
'an ship Wilhelmina should be divert
ID for the relief of the distress in Bel.
GUM the decision to send the cargo to
British prize court would be recon-
idered
Otherwise the cargo must be sub
nitted to the decision of the court.
Germany Willing to Recede.
Washington. Feb. 16.-The German
government in a note to the United
States submitted to the state depart.
ment through Ambassador Bernstorff
declared that Germany is willing to
recede from its announced policy to
attack British merchantmen if Great
Britain will cease interference with
shipments Of foodstuffs destined for
the noncombatant population of Ger.
many.
The German note asserted that the
war zone proclamation was a retail.
atory measure, adopted as a result OF
Great Britain's departure from rules
OF international law and her purpose
to starve out Germans civil popula-
ton.
Ambassador Bernstorff. who deliv.
cred the note to Counsellor Lansing,
said that the communication was of
an intermediary character and was
not to be regarded as Germans reply
to the recent American note upon the