The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-03-02
B !: RL|..IN WILL
NOT r EVOKE
NAVY POLICY
Germany Says Previous As
surances Do Not Apply to
Enemy Merchantmen
Carrying Guns.
HER SUBMARINES ARE OUT
Say Burden of Proof Rests
Upon Entente Allies-Glaim
Policy Squares With the
Law of Nations.

! Washington. Feb. 29.-In a note PIE
sented to Secretary Lansing today by
Count Won Bernstorff, the German am
bassador, Germany assured the United
| States that it has no intention Of re-
| voking the pledges given In the Lusi-
| tania case.
The note says Germany can con-
ceive of nc reason for changing or
posting the new Instructions to her
submarine commanders to treat as
| WarShipS enemy merchant ships armed
Extensively" and that special precau-
tons have been taken to prevent ships
that are not armed from being at
Hacked.
The note at the outset reiterated the
previous pledges. which were given on
!~September l, and October 5, last year
for the safety for unresisting liners
and then goes on to say the German
government does not believe those as
%surances have been modified" by the
new memorandum.
German Contentious.
During the negotiations over the
LuSitania, it says no mention was made
of armed merchant men and that the
| United States in one of its notes on
the Lusitania mentioned unarrned mer-
chant men Attention then is called to
= the assurances pIlNdlGlS SlNeil III Wlll's!I
it is stated that liners will not be sunk.
without warning, provided they do not
offer resistance. Attention also is called
to the statement of the American gov
eminent in its notice to port authori-
ties, that the presence of armament on
board a merchant vessel creates the
presumption that the vessel is armed
fer offense.
1t is stated that a submarine com
mander cannot be expected to warn an
enemy merchantmen which has a right
to fire on the submarine, which warns
it, and the German government sets up
the contention that equipment and in
%tention to resist a warning given by n
submarine does not come within the
definition Of defensive armament.
Say II Meets United States View.
Germany contends that a similar
viewpoint was taken by the United
States and that it secured assurances
from the Italian government that.itS
armed merchant ships leaving Amer
lean ports would not fire on subma-
rines which warned them.
The note then sets forth that the
I"Ierrnan government did not issue its
new instructions to submarine COM
manders until after it had come into
possession of confidential instructions
by the British government to the COM
manders Of British merchantmen.
1t is denied that armed British ships
of any description are peaceful trad
ers, and it is declared that the anna
ment on board all of them is to be
used especially for purpose of attack.
The charge is made that Austrian
submarines also nave been attacked
by armed British merchantmen. which
the note declared are not conforming,
and have no intention of conforming
70 the assurances given TO the United
states by the British government in
{ a memorandum of August %. 1914. by
Sir Cecil SDring~Rice, the British nm
: b~assador. The German government
says 1t cannot see how the American
government in consideration Of these
facts, can regard armed British mer-
chantmen as peaceful trading ships.
n note makes it clear that the
Berlin government believes its new in
4 structions to submarine commanders
are in accordance with the viewpoint
expressed by the United States in it's
memorandum proposing a modus viv-
end1 to the entente allies for the dis
armlng of merchant ships.
Nature of Orders.
1t declares that German submarine
commanders have been so instructed
that they will not destroy a merchant
snip on a question of armament, un-
less it is known positively that such
! armament exists.
: The declaration thai previous pledges
, Will not be revoked, also is formally
! given.
I I ~ LtiS Nilo 70 vi tilS SJIIIed ESlttlG5 .It
: have the belligerents to agree to a
modus videndi. which wolld cause all
merchant ships to be disarn1ed, it is
declared. are welcomed by Germany
Their follows a declaration thai the
German government will not allow its
I submarines to be made the objects OF
attacks in violation of the principles OF
international law and that, therefore
g the new Instruction. will not be post
: poned or modified.
"a Annenlad fn tho p,p,,,,;o,+; 49,.
y which was signed by Count Eor
Ber1storff. was a list of about 90 in.
c clients, where it is charged German
and Austrian submarines have beer
% attacked by mercl anthem armed os.
% tenslbly for defensive purposes.
e.. No Requests Made.
- At no place in the communicative !,
1T suggested that American citizens b,
. warned to remain off armed merchan
= ships, and the question of what con:
stitutes defensive armament is no
bought up. although it is admitted i,
various quarters that such a question
!" probably will be raised.
Baron Zweidinek, charge of the Aus.
trlan embassy, called upon Secretar,
Lansing after Count Won Bernstorf
!. had left, and informed him that Ger
n many's views, as set forth in the NOT,
from Count Won Bernstorff, we're iden
teal with those of his government an,
g that Austria, in effect, seconded every
q thing contained in the German com
p munication.
" Secretary Lansing is understood Il
have advised neither of the Teutoni.
diplomats what the views of the Uni
= ted States would be toward the com
u munication.
n 1t was understood that the not
would be brought to the attention o
President Wilson before night and tina
nothing definite Regarding it would b
le I decided until after ii had heen snb
d mitted to the cabinet tomorrow