Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-02
SPANISH NOTE HAS
CONCEALED THREAT
VIGOROUS PROTEST MADE TO
GERMANY OVER ACTIVITIES
OF THE SUBMARINES.

Madrid, via Paris. Dec. 2a-The
note addressed to Germany on the
submarine question by the Spanish
government reviews at length the pol
icy of Madrid from the time the first
Spanish ship, the Isidoro, WIS torpe-
doed in August, 1915. 1t decfn Is that
the Spanish government has always
maintained that it was illegal to de-
stroy prizes, as is the constant prac-
tice of submarines and that the cabi-
net also demanded the observation of
the Declaration of London. notably ar
ticle so, which it is maintained subma-
rines violate by abandoning the crews
of sunken ship to the mercy Of the
waves far from land
The note further recalls the vignr Of
the representations Of the Spanish
government, which, it says, sometimes
caused the Berlin government to be
surprised at the radical attitude Of
Spain, whose protests, it is held, have
been more energetic than those Of any
other neutral state, even the United
States of America. With regard TO the
contraband question the note says:
What the Spanish government does
not admit is the central empires IN
depreciation of International Inv
whereby they destroy ships Of nnt1one
which have always complained and
ton"
The note concludes win an an
nouncement that further steps ae BE-
ing taken to avoid or diminish in fu-
ture the risks to Spanish smptkng.
In September OF this year the Span-
ish government sent a note to Bex6n
protesting vigorously against die toa.
pedoing Of Spanish steamers By 0er-
man Submarines. Prior to that time
dispatches from Spain sisted that in
dignation over the operations Of the
submarines was growing tfnughum
the country and that mercantile and
shipping bodies were bringing strong
pressure on the gown nment for action.
In October Berlin dispatch s3id thnf
the German government had offered
to let Spanish fruit ships szil unmo2est-
ed under certain guarantees and pro-
vided that the allies permitted simll1r
cngoes to pass for the German maH-
ket. The agitation In Spain ccut1nned
to grow and on December II A1e3un-
dro Lerroux, leader Of the Spanish rad
ical party, introduced a bill in tho
chamber Of deputies prohibiting Sp9n-
ish subjects and vessels from provi
sioning German submarines This WaS
followed on December - BY the intro
duction of a resolution by the rspub-
ican party declaring that there was
urgent need of putting a stop to the
torpedoing Of Spanish ships which was
continuing to weaken a merchant ma
rme already insufficient and tMeaten-
ing to ruin the observation-disclosures Of
SPAN"
U. s. sURPR1HD BN VGoR.
Washington, D. c., Dec. E.-Spain'a
action toward the German submarine
campaign caused surprise here be
cause no such vigorous statement from
Spain had been expected
SPANS action, nevertheless, is
thought to have come at an oppoftme
time to add another source Of pressure
on Germany in what the state depart
ment considers a most seeio0s Si$u2-
ton.
Norway, Sweden, DeGrmaRk md Hol-
land have also suffered d1saBtxuusly
from submarine activities but No indi
cation has been given as yet that they
also were planning action ut this time
The United States will welcome
such protests by other neutrals bat in
line with its consistent policy VII
probably not join in any united aciLo
with them.