Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-10-11
United States Declines to Interne Submarine War;
 ships In It's Ports.
BELLIGERENTS ARE
 HELD RESPONSIBLE
Must Distinguish Between Neutral and Enemy Slbmersibles, Says Ameri.
 can Note, In Answer to Yelled Threat of Danger by Allies.

:; Washington, Oct. 10.-The text ot the American memorandum replying to that of the allied governments re- garding treatment of belligerent sub marines in neutral ports, is as fol- lows:
 'The government of the United States has received the identical memoranda of the governments of France, Great Britain, Russia and Japan, in which neutral governments are exhorted to take efficacious measures tending to prevent belliger- ent submarines, regardless of their use. to avail themselves of neutral waters, roadsteads and harbors.' These governments point out the facility possessed by such craft to avoid sup ervision or surveillance, or determi- nation of their national character, and their power to do injury that is in- herent in their very nature, as well as the additional facilities afforded by having at their disposal places where they can rest and replenish their supplies. Apparently on these grounds, the allied governments hold that submarine vessels must be eX cluded from the benefits of the rule heretofore accepted under interna- tional law, regarding the admission and sojurn of war and merchant ves- sells in neutral waters, roadsteads or hArbors. Any submarine of belli- gerent that once enters neutral harbor must be held there and there fore the allied governments warn neutral powers of the great danger to neutral submarines attending the navigation of waters visited by the submarines of belligerents.'
 ."In reply, the government of the United States must express it's sur prise that there appears to be an en- deavor of the allied powers to deter mine the rule of action for what they regard as a novel situation in re- spect to the use of submarines in time of war, and to enforce acceptance of that rule, at least in part, by warn- ing neutral powers of the great danger to their submarines in waters that may be visited by belligerent submarines. In the opinion of the gov ernment of the United States. the allied powers have not set forth any circumstances, nor is the government of the United States at present aware of any circumstance, concerning the use of war or merchant submarine, which would render existing rules of international law inapplicable to them.
 Tn view of this fact, and of the mo- tice and warning of the allied powers, announced in their memoranda, under acknowledgement, it is incumbent upon the government of the United States to notify the government of France, Great Britain Russia and Japan, that so far as treatment of either war or merchant submarines in American waters is concerned. the government of the United States re- serves it's liberty of action in all re- spects and will treat such vessels as in it's opinion becomes the action of power which may be said to have taken the first step toward establish ing the principals of neutrality and which will ever effectually maintain those principles in the traditional spirit and with the high sense of inn partiality in which they were con- ceived.
 "In order, however, that there should be no misunderstanding as to the attitude of the United States. the government of the United States an nounces to the allied powers that Ill holds it to be the duty of belligerent powers to distinguish between SUD- marines of neutral and belligerent na- uonaities, and that responsibility for any conflict that may arise between Delligerent warships and neutral sub marines, on account of the neglect or Dell{serent to so distinguish between tnese Masses of submarines, must rest entirely upon the negligent power"