New Britain herald., 1916-02-29
us. STANDS FIRM
 AGAINST ATTACKS ON MERCHANTMEN
(Continued From First Page.)

Lansing said. The delay was De
 Beved to be due to conditions resulting
 from the war.
 Congress ReaSsured.
 Chairman Stone of the foreign rcla- , tlons committee expects to confer with Secretary Lansing today to learn the exact status of the submarine issue
 for the benefit of Senators, in view
 of the recent attempts to get legis-
 %atiye action warning Americans
 against travelling on armed merchant
 men of belligerents.
 The nature of Germany's reply as
 published today seemed to have a
 reassuring effect in congress-
 Chairman Flood of the house for
 eign affairs committee, sai i'd, the diplo-
 matic situation seems to be in a very
 satisfactory condition"
 Campaign Starts Tonight.
 Berlin, Feb. 2S. f D. m.. via London.
 Feb. 29, 1910 D. m.-The Associated
 Press is informed by Germany's lead
 ing statesmen that the new rule of submarine warfare, which was an- nounced in the German memorandum rgarding the future treatment of armed merchantmen, will positively De put in effect at midnight of tomor- row, Tuesday, February 29.
 At that time the period of warning IoE heutraIs giving them opportunity 10 advise their nationals not to travel on armed merchantmen, will expire.
 For several days there has been more than possibility that Germany at the last moment might make proposal to the effect that she would discontinue practices of reprlsai and sink no merchant hips-freighter Of passenger liners-without first haltlng the vessel for examination and putting the crew in a place of safety, as in the old style of naval war if the allies would remove armament from merchantmen. It was thought Eng land might accept this proposal or that the United States and other neutrals 1 would be convinced if England re- fused that she had no intention of l discontinuing the use of armament for l offensive purposes This might possi- 1 bly have given President Wilson 1 proof that armament on merchantmen | was not used purely for defense and 1 thus enable the president to reconcile the two conflicting viewpoints regard ing the impropriety of merchantmen armament and the possibility of the United States altering the es- law of nations.
 Publication of President Wilson's etter to Senator Stone, however. ap- parently convinced Germany's leading statesmen that no assistance was to be expected from Washington ending the present anomalous situation re- gardng rules of submarine warfare l and that it was useless to make pro- Oosals the only result of which would ' be to give England more time to re- olenish her stores while a discussion , ( was in progress at Washington and l ( London At least two of the highest 1 directly concerned appear to De now convinced that Washington nas no desire to embarrass Great 1 Britain in the conduct of the war or 70 do anything which might permit l Germany to use the submarine in warfare against commerce.
 Germany Ready for Sensations.
 Newspapers and the German public 1 generally are primed for a spectacu- ar opening of the new submarine It may be doubted, how ,yer. whether the campaign will set in with such vigor and it would be no | an incident of such a character as to force the United States to act on Pres dent Wilson's declarations.
 Such, at least, appears to be the nope of the leading German states nen. They have little expectation hat President Wilson will change his ,ttitude even after the receipt of i he iustificatory evidence attached to ! he German memorandum in the form i ,e appendices, which apparently were rot contained in the American em- cablegram giving the text of l he memorandum itself ar< is being forwarded by mail. It is not believed , hat Americans will be warned from raveling on armed merchantmen or 1 hat adeuuate measures will be taken |o see that armament is used only for |efensive purposes. German states hen apparently hope that by the Nercise of a certain amount of cir k,rnspection matters may drift along fr a time without conflict; that mericans of their own accord will ! Rvoid steamships belonging to bel ] oerents and that in such incidents 1 E do occur it may be possible for Germany to prove that the ships in 1estion violated rules of warfare &ld acted extensively. Further than Ais their hopes do not extend. The Legal Issues.