Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-12
paper mon as hostages.
;ONTAINS SEVERAL IMPORTANT
ADDITIONS AND EXPANSIONS

y.
head of the American department Of
tho German Foreign Office. submitted
20 Ambassador Gerard on the part Of
the Foreign Secretary Zimmerinann
contained. besides a formal rcratin-
cation OF the treaty provisions of 1872
and is.S. regarding mutual treatment
of nationals caught In belligerent
country in the case Of war. number
Of important additions and expansions
/. provided that merchants should be
allowed TO continue their business and
retain their residences until til" end
II the way unmoles,cd that no law
affecting the validity Of contracts
should bc applied 10 Germans in
America. or to Americans in Germany.
and that all patents should - invto-
la,e-a question Of Importance III view
OF tho high value, If not indi"p"uSa-
bili,y Of certain German patents in the
manufacture Of munitions and eNp!o-
sivcs.
quite rs trcnchan, in its bearing on
tho pending problems was the pro-
vision OF an instrument which Ambas-
sadcr Gerard was asked 10 siEQ spcci-
fvinS explicitly that not oniy enemy
property as such should be exempt
from seizure or restrictions in its use
be .ord those applying 10 all property.
out that enemy ships III ports cf tho
opponents should not be seized during
the war nor forced 10 leave port un-
less 10 sail under safe conduct and
guarantee of exemption OF seizure by
the allied ships Provision also was
made for safe conduct when II was
necessary to move ships from one port
TO another in the same country. The
protocol forbade explicitly any intern
ment or restrictions upon the liberty
or movement Of enemy nationals within
the limits of the opponen; country
and for confirmation OF certain articles
Of The Hague conventions. particu-
lsrly as to treatment of the personnel
OF enemy merchant ships captured or
caugh, within an opponen; country.
HINTS or CONSEQI ENCES
IN REFUSAL. TO SIGN
.t:lbs SSudov Gcrard's refusal TO sign
til. treaty. after he had ceased To per-
form his amba ssa dorial functions. or
70 telegraph 10, instructions unless he
was permitted to use code, led Count
Moa:eSlas To hint that Il reCusal TO
sign the protocol might materially AZ
feet the status oH Americans in Ge:
many. and the privilege Of departure
CORRESPONDENTS whom Ambassador Ge-
rard desired 10 take out with him. ana
whose fate was apparently thought
&c carry particular weight in Amcri
can public oninion. This iatimation
Of the possibility of detaining Ameri
cans oven under the status OF 4 rup-
iure OF diplomatic relations noi war.
and the use Of newspaper Representa-
tives as supposedly important pieces
upon the diplomatic chesSboard. caused
Mr. Gerard to declare roundly that he
could not he party to ''anv such
pressure. and that he doubted whether
any ~ the newspaper men could he
"samuba Sgcd" or influenced in any way
by considerations Of personal safety
or convenience, and that he must per
s'st in his earlier expressed stand
point regarding these negotiations
From that poin. nothing further was
heard of til" protocol or Of the pos
sibility OF OBTAINING Americans
The German government undoubted-
y was Influenced by the press dis.
patches with which the German news
papers we're then being rooded. as.
continued OH Second PaeeD