Arizona republican., 1916-02-18
United States In It's Sub marine Controversy With Germany Will Accept Only Assurances Interna- tiOnal Law Observed
NEW DECLARATION
 IS INCONSISTENT
Intention to Sink Armed Merchant Ships Con sidered Inconsistent With Assurances Previously V Given By Berlin
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel

WASHINGTON. Feb. IT, The United States in it's submarine con troversy with Germany will accept nothing short of a full and complete agreement covering all the points for which it has contended as to assur- ances that the warfare in the future will be conducted in accordance with the established principles of inter- national law
 In announcing that fact today Sec retary Lansing let it be known that the state department considers Ger manys declaration of it's intention to sink without warning after February 29 all armed merchant ships of the entente allies to be inconsistent with the assurances previously given this government by the Berlin foreign of flee.
 The tentative communication de- signed to end the Lusitania case, still in the possession of Secretary Lansing, will not be formally accepted until such assurances regarding the future are given, although the com munication insofar as it relates to the LuSIldIlld IlStll IS dCceDldDlt.
 State department officials also con- slider that the Austro- Hungarian memorandum regarding armed ships is not in accord with the assurances given by that government in the ne gotiatiOns over the sinking of the Italian steamship Ancona. Conse- quently final settlement of the An coma caca opca noStnnpad Iocauca of the doubt regarding the circumstances of the sinking of the British steam ship Persia, probably will be with held until Austria gives similar as surances to those now requested from Germany.
 The views of the United States were explained in detail today by Secretary Lansing to Count von Bern storff, the German ambassador, who was informed, it was indicated at the state department, that. the United States desires the German declaration regarding armed merchant ships to be modified
 Later in the day the ambassador sent a long dispatch to his govern ment explaining the position and re- quirements of the United States It was understood that the ambassador informed his government that the United States wanted particularly to know whether the assurances prev iously given in the Lusitania and the
 Arabic cases still were in force. Tonight it was said emphatically in Teutonic diplomatic circles that the Berlin foreign office would not mod = 1 fly the declaration of intention to sink armed ships, or inform the United States the previous assurances still were binding, unless Great Britain should give assurances of some kind that submarine which warns a British steamship, armed ostensibly for defensive purposec, would not he fired upon.
 In this connection it was explained at the state department that tn
 United States considers unarmed mer- chant ships and ships armed for de fensive purposes to be in identically the same class. Furthermore. it i.
 held that the word liners" as em- l ployed in the previous assurance 1 from Germany regarding the conduc 1 of submarine warfare, includes freigh as well as passenger ships.
 l It was declared at the departmen
 that no suggestions have been mad, | to the German government whic would have led it to issue it's lates l memorandum. This answered state
 ments made by German officials tha the American memorandum to the en | tente allies suggesting modus vi vendi for the disarming of merchar ships was the direct cause of Gel ! many issuing her declaration.
 The state department is viewir | tfContipued on pao oa rTbroal