Arizona republican., 1916-02-28
NJ CONF FL|CT
 WITH NATIONS LAW SAYSPAPER
Republican A. p. Leased Wlre1

BERLIN, Feb. 26, (via Londom,
 Feb 27.-Commenting on President
 Wilson's letter to Senator Stone. the
 Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung
 says:
 The principles laid down in the
 German memorandum by no means
 conflict with international law for
 the secret orders to the British navy,
 contained in the memorandum eX-
 pressly instruct armed merchantmen
 not only to defend themselves, but
 also proceed aggressively Individual
 cases cited prove this order has been
 carried out, so that, according to the
 principles of international law, such
 vessels cease to be peaceful mer
 chantmen.
 "On the other hand, the course of our enemies is a gross breach of in ternational law since they perform with merchantmen acts of war to which only warships are entitled. When President Wilson asserts that the measures announced against dict assurances expressly given by Germany and Austria, his words evi- dently are based on a miscOnception for these assurances referred to peaceful passenger vessels, but not to such as are armed for aggressive ac- tion. His misconception evidently is due to the fact that the memorandum and the material which accompanies it are not yet in the hands of the A ,nrin therefore have not yet been examined by Presi- dent Wilson,"
 Germany doubts the correctness of the version of President Wilson's let ter which has been cabled here, be cause the letter finds ostensible con- | flict between Germanys assurances to Washington and Germany's memo randum, whereas it contains no word about the dishonesty of the British in solemnly assuring America that
 merchantmen were armed solely for defensive purposes, while they have issued secret instructions always to attack our submarines.
 '1s this fact, which now here has been denied or doubted, a matter of indifference to American honor, so strongly emphasized? In that case we must really doubt the sincerity of these repeated assertions of Ameri- ca's love for peace. We can and must expect of the United States that it will weigh carefully without prejudice, a new factor brought into questions of international law by England transcinding the defensive character of armament. If Washing ton will do that, the government can reach in our judgment, no other con-
 clusion than we have reached" The Kreuz Zeitung, which captions the presidents letter Wilson as the protector of England,' cites the presi- dents declaration that no nation may change or desregard the principles of international law during the course of a war" Precisely this stand point it says should have caused l MT. Wilson to adopt an opposite pol | icy, if really acting from a sense of l legality instead of partisanship, for l by arming merchantmen for aggres- sive purposes, England most grossly 1 ignores one of the principles of in ternational law. If the president will | fully shuts his eyes to this elemen- | tary fact he shows thereby that he 1 is determined to be a partisan and is trying to protect England by all pos sible means, perhaps because he | thinks her defeat would be harmful | to American interests. From this we conclude that under MT. Wilson's 1 presidency we never shall reach an | understanding with America unless we abandon our liberty to wage an | energetic warfare upon England"