Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-11
Note New Plea for Piracy,
the Consensus of Opinion
of the Press of ENGLAND

LONDON, February 11.-Althoukh the
new German memorandum reached the
London morning papers too late for ex-
tended editorial comment, the manner
in which it is featured in all the news
papers indicates the sensation. it is
likely to cause in England and the al
lied countries.
The Mail declares that II, undoubtedly
is Germany's long threatened reprisal
for the Baralong incident and gives II
seven-column headline reading:
New U-Boat Murder Campaign to Start
March First"
warned neutrals not to travel in the
allies liners after March i. This
clearly indicates that our vessels are
to be attacked without warning and
threatened for the Baralong incident
The German memorandum whines
about our arming liners-the thing
that the Germans did before the war
1t talks as II. hitherto, pirates had
warned their victims!"
"New Plea for Piracy"
The Times heads its story: New
Plea for Piracy" 1t comments:
president Wilson's diplomatic vic
tory is no sooner announced than Ger
many puts forward another plea to al
low her submarines to continue their
piracy. The memorandum is a COM
plant against the perfectly legitimate
and long practiced right of our mer-
chantmen to carry guns for defense
Germany has thus raised again the
whole question of submarine warfare
as affecting neutrals"
The Express uses the headline Ger
many Prepares World for New Fright
fulness.'
The Daily Chronicle calls 1t Ger
many's sink everything policy"
The Daily News remarks in bold type
across it's front page Immediately fol-
lowing the settlement of her dispute
with America on the Lus.tania Ger
many has seized on the preiext for re-
Stunning her policy of submarine fright
fulness."
Orders Called a Bluff.
The evening newspapers, commenting
on the German memorandum regarding
the future treatment by Germany of
armed merchantmen. allude to it as
Piracy and Bluff" The Pail Mall
Gazette says:
The American public themselves re-
alize very clearly that their govern
that the defense Of the worlds civiliza-
ton against piracy and barbarism rests
entirely upon the shoulders OF the al
lies.
Whatever promises may be given to
President Wilson about the sinking of
merchantmen will be rendered quite
negatory by the new theory proclaimed
on behalf OF Admiral Won Tirpitz. The
German admiralty Is Mortified at the
spectacle Of merchant shipping carry
ing guns for its own defense. 1t is an
outrage upon international law that
they should try to iniict SO much as a
scratch upon submarines which torpedo
crews and shell their crowded lifeboa Is
Therefore Germany claims the right to
sink more Lusitanias on the ground
that they have wickedly and felonf-
ously taken measures to avert from
themselves the fate Of the first.
I'VE hope President Wilson is edited
by this conception of the freedom Of the
seas"
Trying to Fool German People.
The Westminster Gazette says: THE
German intimation about submarines
is, We imagine. put forward at this mo-
ment to convince the German public
that nothing of any consequence has
been conceded in the settlement with
the United States about the Lusitania
apparently the Germans think the
settlement compatible with the new or.
der that merchantmen be sunk as be
| fore on the plea that they carry guns to
protect themselves against assailanta
who will destroy them II they are with
| out guns. The pretext il q matter OF
Indifference to u.s. A pretext will al
ways be found and we rely on the
vigilance ard skill of our fleet to de.
feat this menace"
Memorandum Of Austria