Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-12
u. s. MAY REFUSE
TO ACCEPT RULING
ON ARMED LINERS
Seeks Loophole to Avoid In
dorsing Renewal Of Sub
marine Campaign
BERLIN NOTE DUE TODAY
WASHINGTON. Feb. /.

WASHINGTON, Feb. u,
The summary of Germany's declaration
that armed merchantmen will be treated
as warships after March I reached the
state Department from Ambassador Ger
ard today. Gerard said he would cable
the text as soon as Il is translated and
coded. Ambassador Penfield at Vienna
cabled the State Department that he had
received the Austrian note and that II
was Identical with the German note He
is forwarding the text.
There was every indication today that
Secretary Lansing at least will admit that
the foundation on which Germany and
Austria have built their contention that
armament on merchantmen make visit
and search by submarines impossible is
sound This indication has assumed a
degree of certainty ever since Secretary
Lansing made his first ruling regarding
Allied merchant ships coming into Amcri-
can ports with guns aboard. He has
always requested that they dismount
their guns or declare they would be used
only for defensive purposes, And in each
instance he has publicly announced that
each case was handled separately and
that none was to be taken MS precedent
SEE TROUBLE WITH ALLIES
So 1t Is with the Entente Allies, accord
ing to State Department officials, that
this Governments diplomatic differences
seem certain to arise.
1t is probable. however, that the United
States may seek a loophole through which
20 avoid acquiescence i'm Germanys and
Austrias declared intentions.
Although committed to an extent by its
recent proposals to the Entente Powers
that they disarm their merchant vessels.
to the German contention that armed
liners are to be regarded as auxiliary
ships OF war the State Department 1t
Ins, Il
advisability of protesting against the
proposed campaign of the Teutonic sub
marine.
A high official of the department eX-
pressed the opinion last night that it
would be reckless to assume that the
United States would permit such cam
paign to be inaugurated without protest
As an indication of the Governments
attitude, another official frankly admitted
he has been considering the possibility
of a boycott by ship lines of the Allied
countries against American goods billed
for other ports than their own This Off
cial says he does not believe such boy
colt would be in ContraVention of the
rules and practices of international law.
He was inclined TO believe, however. that
such a boycott might successfully he
fought through municipal laws at ports
where Allied merchant ships call for mu-
nitions of war and other goods destined
for their own countries Still another
factor, he said, in lighting such sug-
gested boycott. would be trade treaties
between the United States and the Allied
countries.
MAY WARN TRAVELLERS,
II was learned positively today that
agreement in full with arguments con-
tanned in the forthcoming Austrian and
German note would be followed imme-
diately by formal warning from the
State Department for citizens of this Gov
ernment to keep off Allied ships that carry
armament
The feeling was growing among diplo-
mats representing the Allies today that
II the United States is willing to acQui-
esce in a change of rules regarding arma-
ment on merchantmen while the war IL
going on, that 1t would he only short
step from that to the placing of an
embargo on arms and all munitions of
war.