Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-04-27
ATTITUDE OF j. s.
IS MADE PUBLIC
PRESIDENT HAS HIS VIEWS OF
THE ARMED SHIP CONTRO-
VERSY PUBLISHED.

Washington, D. c., April g. "A
statement defining the attitude of the
United States toward merchant ships
was made public today by the state de-
partment by direction of President
Wilson. It originally was prepared as
a circular note to other powers but it
later was decided to issue it as a
statement
The statement holds to the right of
a merchant ship to arm for protection
only but declares that merchantmen
which have used their ornaments for
aggressive purposes are not entitled to
the same hospitality in neutrol ports as
peaceable armed merchantmen.
''The status of an armed merchant
vessel Of a belligerent," says the
statement, ''is to be considered from
the point of view of a neutral when the
vessel enters it's ports and from that
of an enemy when the vessel is on the
high seas" . ..
The statement treats at length OF
these differences in status and sums
them up as follows:
1.-THE status of am armed merchant
vessel as a warship in neutral waters
may be determined, in the. absence OF
documentary proof or conclusive evil
dence of previous aggressive conduct
by presumption derived from all the
circumstances of the case.
"The status of a warship on the high
seas must be determined only upon
conclusive evidence of aggressive pur-
pose, in the absence of which it Is to
be presumed that the vessel has a
peaceable character and 1t should Dc
so treated by an enemy.
"A neutral government may proceed
upon presumption that armed mer-
chant vessels of belligerent nationality
are armed for aggression, while bel
ligerent should proceed on the pre-.
sumption that the vessels are armed
for protection. Both of these presump-
tons may be overcome by evidence
the first by secondary or collateral EVIL
dence since the fact to be established
is positive in character"
Then Is taken up the rights and
duties of neutrals and belligerents az
affected by the state OF armed mer'
chant vessels in neutral ports and on
the high seas. 1t lays down the rule
that while the merchantmen armed
only for protection against the enemy
are entitled to enter and leave neutral
ports without hindrance In the course
of legitimate trade. They are not SO
entitled under circumstances detailed
as follows.
ARMED merchantmen Of belllgerent
nationality under commission or
orders of their government to use, I'M
der penalty, their armament for az
gressive purposes, or merchantmen,
which without such commission or
orders. have used their ornaments FOR
aggressive purposes are not emitted
to the same hospitality in neutral
ports as peaceable armed merchant
men,"
The German note on armed mer-
chantmen. to which the statement is
regarded as an answer, charged that
British armed ships were armed to at
tack submarines and that their COM
manders we're under secret orders
from the admiralty to do so. p
The statement declares that there is
a distinct difference between the ex-
ercise Of the right Of self protection
and the act of cruising the seas IN
an armed vessel for the purpose OF
attacking enemy naval vessels.
The following declaration applies to