Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-03-01
Berlin Asserts the Lusitania Discussion Never Referred
 to Armed Ships.
BRITISH VESSELS
 ARMED FOR DEFENSE
Memorandum of the Note On Subject of Armed Merchantmen Given Cat by Secretary Lansing
 Last Night.

andum of the German note on the | subject of British armed merchant men delivered yesterday to Secretary ! of State Lansing, by Count von Bern- storff, the German ambassador, was given out tonight.
 "The imperial government reiter- ates the pledges given on Septem- Der 1 and October ,, 1915. and does not consider these assurances have been modified by subsequent events. The negotiations conducted between the American and German govern ments concerning the Lusitania incl dent never referred to armed mer- chantmen,' it says.
 "On the contrary, the note of the American government of May 13 spoke expressly of unarmed merchant men. Furthermore, the formula agreed upon by both governments on September 1 contained the prUviso provided that they do not offer re- sistance.'
 "The presence of armament on board of a merchantmen creates the presumption that the vessel intends to offer resistance. A submarine commander cannot possibly warn an enemy liner, if liner has a right to fire on the submarine. It is obvious that such resistance to the warning by submarine cannot be the mean ing of armed for defensive pur- poses,' even is it were univel sally recognized that defensive armament is permitted by international law.
 Cites America's Actions
 "The point of view was adopted by! the American government when 1t requested assurances from the Italian ambassador that the arRed Italian Dcdio Verino, which entered the port of New York would not fire on sub- marines when warned by them.
 "The imperial government issued it's new order to the German naval commanders after having seen by the secret orders of the British admiral- ty. that the armament of British fmer- chantmen is to be used for the pur-, pose of attack and that these ships are not merely peaceful traders arm cd only for defense.'
 British merchantmen have further on several occasions attacked Austri- an or German submarines.
 ! "They do, therefore, not conform with the assurances given by the Brit ish government in the note of the British ambassador in Washington on August %, 1914, and can even. ac- cording to the legal point of view adopted by the American government, not be regarded as peaceful traders. In Accord with U. s.
 "In issuing the new order to its naval commanders, the imperial gov ernment believes itself to be entirely 1 in accord with the American govern ment. which expressed similar opin- ion in the proposals which it submit ted to the entente powers. The or ders issued to the German naval com manders are not so formulated that the enemy liners may not be destroy cd on account of their armament un-
 less such armament is proved. It is
 therefore obvious that the imperial
 government does not intend to revoke the pledges givens September ant October 15, 1915.
 s"rhe imperial government welcomes
 the intention of the American gov ernment to bring about modls VI, yendi between the belligerents, witt
 regard to the disarmament of mer' chantmen. but cannot see its way tt change or postpone the new ordel to it's naval submarine to be subject
 ed to illegal attacks by armed mer
 chantmen."
 As an appendix to the German mem orardum on the armed merchantmen questions, the German ambassado delivered to Secretary Lansing a liS of cases in which he said that mer
 chantmen had fired on German ol
 Austrian submarines.
 r There are about 20 incidents cited the first on April il. 1915, and thu
 last on January IT, 1916. Many o
 the vessels that attacked the subma
 rines were of unknown nationality
 as they did not display a flag. A fey
 showed the British coiors,s fired a vol , ley at the submarines, and dashed t f sea.
 .. Berlin, Feb. 29.-The new rule 3
 submarine warfare, announced in tn , German memorandum regarding tn . future of armed merchantmen, vii
 positively go into effect at midhigh , tonight.
 [ Newspapers and the German put lie generally are primed for :. spectacular opening of the new suh
 marine campaign.