, 1916-02-23

keeping ur the relentless vigil of the feet,
bearing always in mind that Germany is still
the second largest naval Power, and that her
battle strength is practically intact. Every
British official i'll all departments feels that
while Germany is eager for peace she will do
her utmost 10 continue the struggle if her
efforts to induce The Allies to halt hostilities
meet with final failure.
Washington, Feby. 18th-Senator Lodge
made a speech in the Senate to-day declaring
that abandonment by the United States at
this time Of the principle that its ports were
open to and its citizens free to travel upon
merchantmen of beIligerent nations armed
solely for defensive purposes, would be an
n%nncutral act and a step toward wal. tie
said it would make the United States the
ally of he bellgerent whose merchant mar
inc had been swept from the seas. Sen
ator Sterling spoke on his resolution,
he declare the Senate's concern ut the re-
cent German Naval Order to sink all enemy
armed merchandising. He said the issue
brought the United States into its "eravest
national crisis. -@Instead of yielding to the
claims of the German Admiralty, said he,
"their very mention shonld meet with vigor-
Gus protest, instead of denying this old
right of the seas we should pow Of all times,
vie with her or any other nation in seeking
to uphold it. Possibly some danger will be
incurred, but | DO not much fear dangers
will be increased beyond what they are at
present. But | do know that let another
sen horror occur in which American lives
are involved, and this Administration and
the world will know TINT there is a real
America, not supine, pathetic an1 hesitat-
ing, but strong, militant if need be, and
'eady to respond to these noble impulses
Of Liberty and humanity which have been
our heritage from the beginning. Discuss
ing the right Of Great Britain to arm her
merchantmen for defence purposes, Senator
Sterling said "of all the people in the wide
world. it i'll becomes us to deny Great Bril-
tain that right now or to spend one hour
in diplomatic haggling to secure her %ratitica-
ton Of ii. Our export trade has been grow
ing by leaps and bounds. Each month has
been exceeding by many millions the last
preceding month. The manufacturers of
arms and munitions of war are not the only
beneiciaries. but the products of the farm
the forest, the mine find Il foreign demand
and market, and never IN the aggregate
equalled. But with our own poor and made
quate merchant marine, how would it have
been were sDe not mistress of the seas?"
London, Feby. 1Sth.-Ihe DAILY News"
At'o 'AO CACNihS ACA A'H LtOlAlO
correspondent: "The sudden departure of
King Ferdinand of Bulgaria from Vienna for
Sofia, is due to the news Of the fall of Err
zerum. The defeat will be Likely to compel
the Turks to withdraw all their troops which
were destined to cooperate with the Bull
garians in the defence Of the Danube and the
coasts of the Black Sea and Aegean Sea.
Austro-G erman troops are not available to
replace the Turks withdrawn from Bulgaria,
and it is considered likely that it will be
deemed unsafe to weaken the forces con-
centrated opposite Salonica. Furthermore,
owing to Roumunia's probable entering into
the war during the next month, the Aus
TRANS have already massed strong forces
along the Carpathians and in the Transylva-
nian Alps, as well as on the Danube. Bull
garia therefore is unable TO rely on Austro-
German aid against the threatened Russo
Roumanian attacks from the north, and the
Auglo-French offensive from the west. King
Ferdinand, realizing the imminent peril, has
determined to save his country at any coasts
even ut that of seeking q separate peace.
Censored at Jamaica.)