Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-01-13
LANSING DRAFTING
REVISED CODE OF
SUBMARINE RULES
State Department Soon Will
Submit to BeIIigerents Pro-
posaIs for Conduct of
Subsea Warfare.
HOPE FOR GERMANY'S AID
Berlin Comedies That Crews
and Passengers Should
Not Be Put Adrift in
Small Boats.
HOPE FOR GERMANY'S AID

Washington. Jan. 10.-That the state
department is preparing a statement of
the rules which it holds should gov
ern submarine warfare was practically
admitted by officials today. such a
| statement will be submitted to Ger
many. Austria, Turkey and Bulgaria.
Reports that a statement or note en-
bracing these rules We're called to the
attention of Secretary Lansing this
morning. He would not discuss the
matter, but would enter no denial.
The present attitude of Germany
n the disposition of Austria as re-
Elected apparently by Baron Zwiedi-
nek, the charge leads to the belief
that the central powers will subscribe
to the American statement of rules.
If his can be brought about, it may
result once for all in clearing the in
ternational atmosphere so far as the
submarine issue is concerned.
Germany Makes Concession.
The state department made public
today Germany'S note accepting the
American contentious that the mere
placing of noncombatants in life boats
when a prize is to be destroyed is not
under all conditions to be considered
assuring them a place of safety.
The note is the latest. communica-
ton over the sinking of the American
sailing ship William p Frye and be-
sides making the important conces-
sion regarding the question of small
boats, takes up the question of an
indemnity for the sunken ship and for
arbitrating the disputed provisions of
the Prussian-American treaty.
The most important part of the text
relating to the sinking of ships carry
ing ~contraband Of war and the safety
OF noncombatants follows:
Until the decision of the permanent
court of arbitration, the German nava
forces will sink only such American
vessels as are loaded with absolute
c~ontraband when the conditions proS
vided by the declaration of London
are present. In this the German gov
eminent quite shares the views of the
American government that all possible
care must be taken for the security of
the crew and passengers of a vessel to
be sunk. Consequently the persons
found on board of a vessel may be or
dered into life boats, except when the
general conditions, that is to say the
weather, the conditions of the sea and
the neighborhood of the coasts, afford
absolute certainty that the boats will
reach the nearest port. For the rest,
the German government begs to point
out that in cases where the German
naval forces a unk neutral vessels
for carrying contraband, no loss of life.
yet occurred"
Raises One Objection.
Germany declined, however, to have
the commissioners who will settle the
Frye damages, meet in Washington,
because it is pointed out that the Ger
man expert, DR.. Greve, of Bremen. di-
rector of the North Germany-Lloyd
line, would be exposed to danger of
capture during a voyage to America lin
consequence of the conduct of mari
time war by England, contrary to in
ternational law"
1t is suggested that the German and
American experts might get in touch
by correspondence.
Germany also declines to assent at
this time to the nomination of an UNI
pire in the absence of a determination
OF whether the experts would settle
damages, or principles. Germany re-
FUSES to have an umpire consider the
question of principles. In case the
United States insists that the experts
meet in Washington and that an UNI
r1re be named at once, Germany sug-
gests that the damages he arranged by
diplomatic negotiations.
For the arbitration of the Prussian-
American treaty Germany proposes a
special court of five from the perma-
nent court at The Hague, of which
each country shall choose two and the
four shall choose the fifth to meet at
The Hague June 5. The special court
should decide whether under the Prus-
sian-American treaty the %belligerent
contracting party is prevented from
sinking merchant vessels Of the neu-
trahand, which uch sinking is permis-
sible according to the general prin-
ciples of international law"