Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-12
Expect United States to Agree
to Sinking of Armed
Merchantmen.
CREWS TO BE TREATED
AS PRISONERS OF WAR
Confidence Is Expressed That Ameri-
cans Will Be Warned Off
Armed Vessels.

BERLIN. via London. February IL
The Berlin newspapers publish dis
patches from the United States an
nouncing that 1t is expected that the
Washington administration soon will
issue a warning to Americans not to
travel on merchantmen which are
armed.
The newspapers say that this an
nouncement comes at a timely moment
to confirm the hopes entertained in
Germany that the new policy enunci-
ated in the German memorandum.
which declares that armed merchant
men will be treated by Germany after
February 90 warships, would be
found to conform to the revised ideas
of the American Department of State
on the conduct of submarine warfare
and hence tends to simplify in the fu-
ture the situation between Germany
and America on this issue.
Official circles felt but little appre-
hension regarding the reception of the
memorandum by the American govern
ment or the possibility that it would
complicate the settlement of the Lusi-
tania issue.
Obtained American View.
1t is stated that report from Baron
Zwiedinek Won Sudenhorst. the Austro-
Hungarian charge d'affaires at WASH
ington. describing conversation with
Secretary Lansing regarding the dis
armament proposals. has given to the
German and the Austrian governments
a definite idea of the American position.
The main anxiety felt by the German
authorities has been with regard to the
reception which would be accorded to
the memorandum by the press and pub
lie opinion in the United States.
The newspapers of Germany agree in
saying that il is scarcely correct to re-
Ter to the policy announced in the
memorandum as new. since Germany.
oven before the war. officially had taken
the position that ships armed in ac-
eordanee with Mr. Churchilfs plan lose
entirely their peaceful non-combatant
privileges and that their crews should
be treated not even as belligerents, but
as pirates.
incorporated in German prize regula-
tions June %. 1914, before the war
broke out, which provided that every
hostile act of armed merchantmen was
to be regarded as piracy and that the
crews should be dealt with accord
ing to the regulations covering ex-
traordinary military law and pro-
cedure."
Privileges of War Vessels.
The newspapers point out that the
memorandum does not go to extremes,
but allows armed merchantmen the
privileges Of warships-that is, the
crews, II captured, are to be treated
as prisoners of war, and the ships. al
though liable to be attacked and sunk
without warning. are entitled to GER
tain rights of surrender. All German
warships, and not submarines only,
are, according to the memorandum to
apply these rules, and. therefore, they
argue, the memorandum is not exactly
a new development OF submarine war
fare
The naval experts quote certain Brit
iah newspapers as opposed to the
Churchill measure to indicate that even
in England the danger for crews and
passengers on armed merchantmen
was recognized before the war
The German press is unanimously
expressing commendation of the MEM
orandum. which. however. does not go
far enough to satisfy some of the
says that insistence should be made
on 1.-The inherent right OF the German
nation to make. use of any weapon
which 1t needs In the struggle for ex-
TAFT for the German empire and its peo-
pie that unrestricted use be made of
the submarine weapon on Great Brit
ans commerce than that good rela-
tons should be conserved with the
United States"
For Free Use of Submarines.
The budget commission Of the Prussian
diet publishes the following resolution,
Wednesday before the German govern
ment'S memorandum