Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-17
PRESIDENT HOLDS
DEFINITE OPINION
AS TO j. S. POLICY
Soon Will Move to End Stu
alton Created by Sub
marine Warfare.
NOT YET DECIDED THAT
TIME TO ACT is HERE
Holding of American Ships in
Port. in Effect, Is Acquiescing
in German Campaign.
QUESTIONS BEFORE CABINET
Two Im""rtar' Moves bv Great
Britain to N""t I-B"at Mem
ace Announced.
NOT YET DECIDED THAT
TIME TO ACT is HERE
QUESTIONS BEFORE CABINET
TWO Im"nrtap' Moves by Great
Britain to N""t I-Bnat Mem
ace Announced.
-. A..nci. ~ ~. : /

- ,s~aci~. ~ T."o.s
WASHINGTON February ls.-The
rr;hicss German submarine campaiSn
and its effects upon the United States
were discussed late to-day bv Prcsi-
don't Wi's"" and tho Cabinet The
inc"tin" l"S..h civ IN hour. and af-
t"rward T. r."c said no new stems had
hc.n dc".l"i on
Armin. II American merchantmen
"nd the c""nomi" effects Of tho partial
t'"-m "f shipping out of American
""rtS were tho subjects on which tho
'ah'not ""nt"rcd attention. Secretary
| icAd"o is compiling II list Of vessels
h"ld IN port. "nd Secretary Rcdfield is
r'k'n: = comrrchcnsive analysis OF
'hr irr"ad> Suhn,arincs arc making on
shipping generally.
Consideration is given by tho gov
crnmcnt TO al the different phases OF
'hc situation that has developcd since
tho break in relations with Germany
including tho detention Of tho Yarrow-
dale prisoners. tho crisis with Austria.
tho plight nf Americans in Turkey and
Belgian relief High officials took pains
to-day. however to emphasize that the
great fundamental problem before the
nation Is the illegal submarine cam
naiEn itself Against thiS campaign
IN" United states has made tho most
r'ror"us nrotcSt possihl" short OF war.
hut th" administration renliZcs that so
LONG IS il pern,iis American ships 10
"r held IN port for irnr uf attack hv
'uhinnrincS it, in effect. iS ecuuicsninr
~ III" German policy. Tho state OF
affairs. il Is admitted. c;,nnot be per-
miticd TO continue indefinitely.
United STATES MUST DECIDE
wow TO END SITUATION
What th" tnitcd Statcs must do to
nd II. nnd "hc,. arc tho only qucs-
lions. The President Is understood TO
h"ve . very definite opinion as to
what should bc done. but he has not
Yet decided that tho time To do il has
come
Press dispatches from Bcrlin an
nouncinG that the scventy-two Amer
can s"amcn brought in by. the Var
r"Wlai" bud h"cn released caused the
'"m"nd that 'hc mon be freed TO he
Withheld prndi"~ ct'icia, adviccs on tho
ubJr"t \ cahlccram WAS sent to the
SnaniSh b;.SSador mt Berlin asking
whether the report was true II is not
doubted aS il has been assumed from,
III" first thai t;"rmsny would not hold
-" nv" after runners rcacllinE Il .rc
~ W. ''lltlNthltcnt bt German Sa llprS
in th" United 81: les had lie m cleared
M.
Another inquiry was sent to the
Spanish "mha ssador L. ascertain the
cause of delay in the dcDarturo of tbe
American train from Munich. where Mr..
Gerard ~ sNiouS!y had reported would
t'i,N" some day this week" with
"iIhtN-SiN ccnsuls aud their families
ma an Unknown number of other per-
sons
YIN earlier dispatch from the Spanish
ambassador said Germany has prom
i*cd I" facilitate the consuls departure
aS much as possible. 1t is understood.
however, that for militia. reasons the
Germans insist that tho remaining
\m"ricanS all 20 ont in ono trainload
7nd that there has been dclay in CON
""ntratnc thew Al Munich No doubt
r"l, hero tha they viii arrive Mt
irrn shortly
MOVES Hi GREAT URITtJN
70 MEET ~ nMtnINE MENACE.
Two iup"r;ant m"vcs by Great Brit
an Z" meet the submarine menace were
announced during the day. new
danger I"u. wa> proclaim. d, seeking
7" hl"rl raci!,%t.iy tho whole route OF
est towards tn" Atlanti. uf the Ger
man -b""t> from their bases in Ger
many ana Belgium. With the English
channel practically closed by an eIabo-
raj" system "f nets, mines and patrols.
-" 'ucau- Ut exit for the submarines
hns h"cu tir"uEh the rout, north Of
scotland aud down tho Irish coast
III" n'N danger zone designed to close
ih"' W. out. i understood 10 have
been literally strcwn with mines
"Details of plan. for changing the
,.,,I ...,II
between this country and tho Northern
European ncutrais from Falmouth TO
Halifax were made public. The idea
iS 4" allow the vcss-is IL avoid the
German submarine zone BY swimming
around ireland and Scotland and down
til" Norwegian coast instead Of touch
ing til" British Isles. \ second port
tor tho examination Of southern COM
mcrcc may he established hitter at tho
Eahamas o. Bermuda.
american exporters SIM win he ar
i"rd"d the opportunity of securing
letters 81 assuranc"" from the British
embassy here that their goods arc not
consigned directly or Indirectly to
Ems lands enemies. The British BLOCK
ad" aud tho 'rationinc" ur Holland
and Scandinavia viii continue az hc
fore. and a new list Of articles which
cann", W imported in;o England will
he published shortly
RATE on BESTWICrIoN
RN u-BOATS DECLINES
Tn" falling OF in the rate OF daily
destruction by submarines 10 few
thousand tons has made a great i'm
preston here. and given rise TO specu-
laton a. to whether the return OF
submarine fleets to base or tho success