The Washington times., 1916-02-11
BRITAIN AND ALLIES
WILL NOT YIELD RIGHT
German Memorandum Concern
Ing Armed Merchant Ships
Called New Piracy Plea.
lcontinued from FIrrt pare.l

CONTINUED from First PaRe.)
tuaiiy suggested by the United States
in its recent proposals to the belliger-
ents.
A high official of the State Depart
uent said the United States may. after
amending its regulations SO as to class
ify all armed merchant ships as war
ships. issue warning TO Americans that
they will take passage on armed ships
at their own risk. This would relieve
the United States of responsibility. as,
in the light of such changed regulations
and warnings. the State Department
would consider that Americans travelling
on armed passenger vessels were en-
,.tled 70 no moro consideration than II
'ney were on warships.
STATE Department and diplomatic Of
,ucIais insisted vigorously that the new
ternlan sea policy had no references
.ne settlement of the Lusitania case,
between the United states and Ger.
many by which this Government made
lts proposals for disarming merchants
lcn IN return for concessions made by
germany IN the submarine controversy
On the other hand II was contcnded
mat the Urited States in all its notes
70 Germany hns protested specifically
70 sinking OF 'unarmed merchantmen"
Inc onicial view is that the new Ger
man policy will give immunity from
submarine attack to all neutral liners
ana TO unarmed bclligerent liners This
~ me poncy. they Insist, for, which the
Tilt With Britain Seen.
There is every possibility that the
acauiesence ot the State Department In
tho new policy of submarine warfare
planned by Germany and Austria viii
involve the United States in a con-
lies.
None Nof the entente allies has re-
Piled to- the recent Lansing proposals
Urging that merchantmen be disarmed.
The state Department has been in
formally advised that the allies will re-
lect the proposel
The British view is that they have
everything tn lose and nothing to gain
hy the proposals. Moreover. they re-
fuse to treat seriously any German
promises.
In this respect a statement made in
formally by prominent British Of
nciai recently Is interesting. This Of
fetal pointed out that 1t would be
e1tirely within the bounds OF possi-
blity for a submarine to sink an un-
armed merchant ship and get away
with the charge. whether true or un-
true. that the ship carried armament"
Apronouncement from the state De-
psrtment accepting the German and
Austrian classification OF armed ships
as war vessels. would mean that such
liners could not enter American ports
more than once every six months. ami
that they would be ordered to leave
within twenty-four hours.
u. S. Might Retaliate.
ofncials admit that under such
conditions American goods. excepting
those urgently needed by the entente
allies. might be held up indefinitely
I'M port through dearth. OF bottoms. |
They admit they see no way at this |
time for the United States to prevent !
the entente allies from ordering mer- |
chant ships OF those nationalities from |
retusing to take American cargoes. |
retaliation by the United States, they |
said, might take the form OF an |
agreement among American manu- |
facIurers to sell no goods to the en-
tente allies, not even war munitions, !
unless allied merchant ships were |
permitted to carry goods consigned |
to other than home ports.