Arizona republican., 1916-02-27
Secretary Lansing Let's It Be Known United States Ready to Further Discuss Definition of Defensive Armament for Ships
THREE DAYS UNTIL.
 DEGREE OPERATIVE E
Nothing Now to Indicate That Order to Treat Armed Merchant Ships as War Vessels Would Be Post pOned
[Rerublican A. p. Leased Wirel

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-Secretary Lansing indicated today that the Unit ed States Was prr. Jared under certain circumstances 10 discuss with the Ger man government W lat may properly 51 regarded as defensive armament for .lerchant sn'pa, i'll no event. however, stCcOdring to | I-horjuatiVe infornLtlOE trn 'Ght, will the Un.t.d states ne ;t paIty to suci ne@C tiatiois unless 't ,s assured that thc lives 0f American cit- i2c9g aboard ships armed for defen sive purposes will not be endangered during the course of the discussion.
 Only three days remain before Ger man and Austrian submarine comman- ders will be instructed to treat armed merchant ships as war vessels. There was no indication today that issuance of the order announced in foraml no- tifications from the central powers for February 29, would he postponed all though it was admitted that q post ponement would not come as sur prise.
 Leaders in both houses of congress who for several days have agitated passage of a resolution warning Amer jeans not to travel on armed ships, seemed convinced tonight that no such measure could be put through at pres- ent. Senator Gore, who has such res olution pending, issued q statement saying that while lie still favored a warning he believed the objects sought hy his resolution already had been ac- complished through public discussion. Representative McLemure, whose warning resolution has been kept from
 coming up by administration leaders said he was content to wait until the president and Secretary Lansing had opportunity to try out their policy of asserting determinedly the right of travel on ships bearing arms.
 Administration officials still were awaiting the receipt of the appendices to the latest German memorandum on
 the subject which contained what is a,- legged to be a copy of confidential in structions given to British sea captains. If this document contains what the German government claims, it IS sd4u
 to be probable inquiries may be ad- dressed to Great Britain on the sab- ject. The British government some time ago assured the United States that it's merchant ships would not op- crate offensively.
 Germany in its memorandum gives as one of the cardinal reasons for it's determination to sink armed merchant ships of her enemies without warning
 the fact that German submarines have
 been fired upon repeatedly by merchant men which apparently were engaged in peaceful pursuits of commerce. A high official of the state depart ment questioned about this contention, gave it as his opinion that there might in certain cases be justification for one gelligerent committing acts in retalia- tion for violations of international law committed by an enemy. It was made plain that the department will not make any decision in this connection until it has had opportunity to carefully in spect the appendices to the German memorandum.
 It also was indicated at the state de partment today that Germany be re cent acts had shown a disposition to change her original position in regard to the right of merchant ships to carry defensive armament. Originally the Berlin government denied that it was legal for merchant ships to arm at all. Now some officials here consider that Germany is willing to admit that arm- ament is legal if purely defensive In other words, it is believed the German government actually is attempting to change the rules rather than the law | Should the subject be opened up for discussion the state department may, l it was said, be willing to admit tha, fthere should be some regulation regard i ing the size and use of defensive arma . 1 ment supplementary to the instruction. 1 to port authorities issued September 9 (Continued on Page Three)