The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-03-02
BERLIN WILL
| NOT REVOKE
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 AIlies-Claim
Policy Squares With the
Law of Nations.
HER SUBMARINES ARE OUT

Washington. Feb. 29.-In a motto pre-
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 no reason for changing or
| posting the new instructional to her
submarine commanders to treat n
warships enemy merchant ships armed
| "defensively" and that special precau-
lions have been taken to prevent ships
that are not armed from Being at
| tackled.
The note at the outset reiterated the
| previous pledges, which were given on
September I. and October s, hst year
for the safety for unresisttnE liners
and then goes on TO say thA German
| government does not believe fhose as
| surances have been modified by the
| new memorandum.
| German Contentious. ....
During the negotiations oyer the
| Iusitania, 1t says no mentions WAS made
| Of armed merchant men and that the
United States In one OF its notes or
| the Lusitania mentioned unaffbed aer-
chant men Attention then IA RalIed to
the assurances privately given IN which
1t is stated that liners will not he sunk
without warning, provided they do not
offer resistance. Attention also fs called
to the statement of the American gov
eminent in its notice to port author
ties, that the presence Of armament on
board a merchant vessel creates the
presumption that the vessel ~ armed
for offense
1t is stated that a submarine com
mander cannot be expected to warn an
enemy merchantmen which has right
to fire on the submarine, which warns
1t. and the German government sets up
the contention that equipment md in
tention to resist a warning given by Il
submarine does not come within the
definition If defensive armament.
Say II Meets United States View.
Germany contends that q similar
viewpoint was taken by the United
States and that it secured assurances
from the Italian government that its
armed merchant ships leaving Amer
icait ports would not fire on subma-
rines which warned them
The note then sets forth that tho
German government did not issue its
new instructions TO submarine com
manders until after it had come into
possession of confidential instruction
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 IL is declared that the arrna-
ment on board all of them Is TO be
used especially for purpose OF attack
The charge is made that Austrian
submarines also have been attacked
by armed British merchantmen, which
the note declared are not conforming.
and have no intention of conforming
TO the assurances given to the United
States by the British government in
a memorandum of August 26, 1914, by
Sir Cecil Spring Rice, the British am
bassador. The German government
says it cannot see how the American
government in consideration Of these
facts can regard armed British mer.
chantmen as peaceful trading ships.
The note makes it clear that the
Berlin government believes Its new In
struct1onS to submarine commander
are in accordance with the viewpoint
expressed by the United States In its
memorandum proposing a modus WV
endi to the entente allies for the dis
arming Of merchant ships.
Nature Of Orders.
1t declares that German submarine
commanders have been so instructed
that they Will not destroy a merchant
ship on question of armament, IN
less it is known positively that such
armament exists.
The declaration that previous pledges
will not be revoked, also is formally
given.
The efforts of the United States to
have the belligerents to agree to
modus videndi, which would cause all
merchant ships to he disarmed, It IL
declared, ARE welcomed by Germany"
Then follows a declaration that the
German government Will not allow it's
submarines to be made the objects OF
attacks in violation Of the principles OF
international law and that, therefore
the new instructions. will not be post
poned or modified.
Appended to the communication
which was signed by Count Won
BerIStorff, was a list of about 20 in
CT 'ents. where it is charged German
| and Austrian submarines have been
attacked by mercl anthem armed os-
tensibly for defensive purposes.
No Requests Made.
At no place in the communication IL
| it suggested that American citizens~ba
| warned to remain off armed merchant
ships, and the question Of what con
stitutes defensive armament is not
bought up, although it is admitted in
various quarters that such a question
probably will be raised
Baron ZweidtneK, charge Of the Aus
| TRAN embassy, called upon Secretary
Lansing after Count Won BePnstorff
had left, ard informed him that Ger
many's views, as set forth In the note
from Count Won Bernstorff, were iden-
| teal with those of his government and
that Austria, in effect, seconded every
| thing contained in the German com
munication.
Secretary Lansing is understood 20
have advised neither OF the Teutonic
diplomats what the views of the Uni
ted States would be toward tho COM
munication.
1t was understood that the note
would be brought to the attention OF
President Wilson before night and that
nothing definite rcagrding It would be
decided until after it had been sub
nniffad tO hipat fnrn0Y.rouF