The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-10-12
ENVOY WILL Be
ASKED TO EXPLAIN
SEA RAID OFF ]. S.
President Wilson W,n See Won
Bernstorff Today.
GREAT BRITAIN TO PROTEST
Extension Of German Submarine War.
fare to American Coast Opens Up
New Diplomatic Dispute
With England.

Asbury Park, n. j., Oct. Count
Won Bcrnstorff, the German ambassa-
dor, will be asked by President Wilson,
! when the envoy visits Shadow Lawn
today, for an official explanation of the
, visit of the submarine U-53 to Newport
on Saturday. This visit was followed
almost Immediately by sea raids on the
: eastern doorway TO the United States.
The president telephOned from
| Shadow Lawn to the executive offices
! here asking for all information obtain
able concerning the operations of the
submersible off the New England coast.
| A. communication from Washington
! said a report from Admiral Austin Nj.
Knight at Newport, who talked with
Capt. Hans Rose of the daring sea
raider, would probably not be received
! before this afternoon.
Situation Is Serious.
The situation is known to be regard
ed with deep concern, both as affect
ing politics at home and international
relations. 1.-THE exploit of the German
officer and his gallant crew has been
already unofficially characterized as
one. of the most audacious acts of the
| war.
Before the hostile activities of the
U-53 were reported the explanation Of
the German commander that he
crossed the ocean in the face of the
British enemy for the sole purpose of
delivering q bag of mail for Ambassa-
dor Won Bernstorff was not accepted
| seriously at Shadow Lawn.
1t was pointed out that If Capt. Hans
Rose had been intrusted with communi-
cations of sufficient Importance to
justify such hazardous trip he would
not likely have intrusted them to the
mails and put to sea before knowing
they had been delivered, as lie was re-
ported to have done.
1t is considered certain by indivfdu-
ais close TO the president that as a
result of the latest. developments AM
bassador Van Bernstorff does not bear
a message from the kaiser asking the
United States to intervene for peace
in Europe.
Britain to Protest.
Washington, Oct. 0.-The extension
of the German submarine war to the
American coast has opened up Il new
diplomatic dispute with Great Britain.
1t was stated at the British embassy
that the United States will be called
upon to decide Immediately whether
any more U-bOats shall be permitted to
enter American ports. The allies con-
tend that the entrance of such boats
into American harbOrs is violation of
neutrality.
This point already has been raised
with Sweden, Norway and Spain, and
these countries have decided to sustain
the allied viewpoint. They have adopt
ed regulations practically denying sub
marines the right of entrance.
The British point to the case of II
German submarine which entered II
Spanish port with a message from the
kaiser to, the king of Spain After
leaving the port the U-boat sank
French ship. France has demanded
indemnity from Spain and is holding
the Spanish government strictly to ac-
cOuntability for any further entrance
of U-bOats into her ports.
1t is intimated at the British EN-
bassy that similar attitude will be
taken toward the United States.
The contention Of the allies is that
the U-boats enter the harbOrs and OBJ
tain information which enables them
to sink enemy ships.
Submarines Are Uniuue.
They assert that submarines cannot
be governed by the same rules as other
warships, for the reason that they can
not be observed when they are beneath
the surface, and that they could there
fore violate neutrality without being
caught at ii.
The navy department maintains that
U-53 was strictly within her rights
when she entered Newport harbOr, and
that there was no violation of neu-
tralltyS H..
1t Is understood that when Sir Cecil
Spring-Rlce visited the state depart
ment he protested against the entrance
VI the U-53 to an American port and
served notice that the United States
would be called upon to decide imme-
diately the attitude which 1t is going
to take in regard to such cases.
So far as the sinking of ships off
the American coast is concerned, there
is no disposition ut either the state or !
navy department to dispute the right
of the Germans to make war at sea
where they please so long as they keep
outside the three-mile limit.
At the German embassy IL was stated
that Germany would adhere strictly to
her promises made in settling the Lusi- /
tania and Sussex cases that she would
not violate international law.
Il 4