Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-02-09

have become current in Germany
that the German ships here have
been confiscated and their crews
seized. Pending confirmation, Ger
many has detained the Americans.
MISUNDERSTANDING
Officials here are inclined to minimize
the importance of the detention be-
cause they believe it largely has arisen
from a misunderstanding and soon will
be Strengthened out. 1t has been Of
ficiauy announced that there is no in
tention of taking the German ships.
Moreover, dispatches have been con-
veyed to Germany through the Spanish
embassy as to the courtesies granted
to former German officials in this coun-
try, ana their receipt is expected to
clarity greatly any misconception in
Germany as TO Americas attitude.
The whole policy of the state depart
ment is to proceed with the strictest
regularity in order to afford absolutely
no ground for offense. The United
States will be extremely punctilious and
place the whole responsibility of more
serious development upon Germany
Probably $50 Americans are affected
in the American embassy at Berlin and
the four in Belgium and in the one at
Warsaw There are 1O1 American citi-
zens among the consulates, ten among
the regular embassy staff and at least
twenty among the forty other clerks
and attaches at the embassy.
That Mr.. Gerard is still in Berlin and
not at Berne. Switzerland, as was
thought possible yesterday, is shown in
a dispatch received today from Ambas-
Mr.. Willard said that the impression
that Gerard was at Berne had been due
to a telegraph mistake. The dispatch
should have been dated Berlin, via
Berne," instead of "Berne."
SAFE PASSAGE FOR BERNSTORFF.
France has formally granted safe
passage through the allied blockade for
Count Won BernstOrff and his suite.
Similar action is being awaited from
Great Britain.
Notice that Great Britain also has
granted safe passage for Count Won Bern
storff and his staff was received later at
the state department.
Germanys submarine campaign of
ruthlessness is developing with a fury
which many officials here believe soon
must confirm the worst fears that had
been held for it. and produce the overt
act which President Wilson has said
WOuIu De the SlSHdl lOT Wal
The president himself holding from
the first to the hope that after all, the
German threat of unrestricted warfare
on the seas would be tempered in execu-
ton, awoke today to find that a continu-
Gus onslaught of submarine attacks had
reached a climax in the destruction with
out warning Of big British transatlan-
tic liner Consul Frosts report that the
Anchor line steamer California with an
American aboard and rescued, had been
sunk in violation of international law,
did not reach the capital last night until
the president had retired and it was first
thing to come to his attention today.
II was pointed out that so far as is
known, no American was lost on the
California and no American ships have
been sunk without warning since Ger
many announced her new campaign.
The senate's Endorsement Of the break
with Germany was given yesterday by
adoption of the Stone resolution, by a
vote of IS to 5.
American ship owners had official no
tice from the state department that it
could not advise them whether their
vessels should sail through the war