The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-05-06
BREAK EXPECTED
WITH GERMANY At CAPITOL-RE'
PLY TO AMERICAN NOTE
REACHES WASHINGTON.
German Answer Concerning Subma.
rlne Warfare Pressges Rupture
Of Diplomatic Relations.


Through James w. Gerard, the Ameri
can ambassador in Berlin, the reply
to the American ultlmatum concerning
submarine warfare and II is feared
that its contents are such as to make
a continuance of amicable relations
Impossible.
The reply is the longest diplomatic
document of the present war and, as
1t was not filed for dispatch by wire
less until long after midnight, 1t is not
expected to be complete in the hands
of the State Department until late to-
day
II From an authentic source In Berlin
officials here received information by
wireless during the day that there was
considerable perturbation throughout
Germany when it was learned that
certain important concessions had
been made to the United States on sub
marine warfare, but the great mass OF
people in Germany, 1t was said, show
a desire to avoid a breach in the di-
plomatic relations with this country
They demand, however, that the prin-
ciples enunciated in the German man
ifesto of February s, regarding sub
marine warfare, shall not be sacri-
feed.
From the same quarters in Berlin it
is learned that this manifesto is adj
herod to throughout the reply, which
dwells at length also on the German
attitude toward the British "starva-
ton" policy.
In spite of Secretary Lansings fat
refusal to discuss the contents of a
dispatch received from Ambassador
Gerard, 1t became known that, in view
of such information as has been re-
ceived, official and unofficial, officials
of the government fear that Germany
has attached conditions to her reply
that may make 1t impossible for the
United States to continue diplomatic
relations.
In n memorandum prepared at the
direction of President Wilson and
made public a few days after the dis
patch of the last note to Germany,
Secretary Lansing restated the Ameri-
can attitude toward armed merchant
men, declaring that they should be
considered and treated as peaceful
vessels II their armament was car
rier and used for defense only.
While most of the officials would
not comment on the Berlin reference
to the manifesto of February s, they
reiterated that the President was pre-
pared to stand unalterably by the po-
sition taken in the late note. The note,
which was designed to permit of nc
argument, gave notice that unless
Germany Immediately declared and eff
fected an abandonment of present
methods of submarine warfare against
passenger and freight carrying vessels
the United States could not do other
wise than to sever diplomatic rela-
lions.
The German memorandum of Feb
ruary was addressed to neutral ma
lions and declared that after Febru-
AIRY 20, Germany would consider all
armed merchantmen belonging to
countries at war with Germany az
warships. and that such vessels
would be treated accordingly and sunk
without warning.
IL charged that before the outbreak
of the war the British government
had given British shipping companies
an opportunity to arm merchantmen
with guns for protection against dan
gers
Threatening under certain circum-
stances from auxiliary cruisers of
other powers" The British admir-
atty, II was added, published in Janu-
AIRY, 1914. list of twenty-nine steam
ers OF various English lines carried
stern guns,
Germany established soon after the
outbreak of the war. the memonran-
dun said, that English liners were
armed, the steamer La Cerrentina hav-
ing been captured carrying two four
pound seven-inch stern guns and a
German submarine having been fired
upon in the channel by an English
yacht
The memorandum said the British
government. for it's own merchant
men. had taken the standpoint that
armed merchantmen maintained the
character Of peaceful mercantile yes
sells so long as they only carried arm
ament for defensive purposes, but that
In the case OF armed ships under
other flags Il had adopted the prin-
oiple that they were to be treated as
warships.
"The German government" the
memorandum continued, has no
doubt that merchantmen acquire a bel-
ligerent character through arming
with cannon. no matter whether the