The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-02-20
Realizes Continuation Of Existing
Conditions Is But Playing Into
l9 Hands Of Germany, and That
Il Must Be Stopped At Once
MEANS OF SOLVING PROBLEM
ALREADY DECIDED UPON
Time Not Yet Ripe To Move Is
Reason Wilson Reported To
Have Assigned For Further
Waiting At Meeting Of Cabinet

w A Isl . February IL
wv While the official statements
are to the effect that the Presi.
dent has decided that the time is not
yet ripe for direct action ON the part
Of the United States in response to the
continued aggression of Germany, all
signs point to war at an early date.
Throughout the country it is evident
that the men at the head Of such or
ganizations as may be Of use to the
government in the event Of war are be-
ing kept in closer touch with the inter
national situation than the general
public and all are bending their ener-
gies to prepare for the events to come.
Information by way of Paris and
Berne indicates a growing hostility to-
wurds the United States IN Austria and
4 conviction there that war is inevi-
able in the near future. To such an
extent has this feeling developed, state
the reports from these capitals, that
Ambassador Penfeld has notihed all
Americans TO leave Austria and Hun
gary, the Paris despatch stating that
this has been done on instructions from
the state department here. This is de-
MED at the state department. ...
oonsuls Held Up ~ .... ....... '
The Swiss capital reports that Ger
many is continuing to hold the greater
lumber of American consuls, and sail
RS now in that country, and on the
heels of tits came the report printed
in the semi-ofiicial Berliner Tageblatt,
TO the effect that Ambassador Penfeld
in Vienna, has brought to an abrupt
ending the negotiations between Aus
tria and this country. o.. E.s... -.
The government officials here last
night admitted that the President and
Secretary Lansing have been attempt
ng to secure some official confirmation
If these reports, especially Of the state
ments that the German government is
iolding American sailors and consular
Ulcers, but added that so far no official
Confirmation has been obtainable.
Regarding the announcement from
Switzerland that Penfeld had broken
If his negotiations with Austria, the
state department announced last night
hat nothing official had come from our
ambassador in Vienna, or that there has
been any change in the status of the
citations of the two nations. They
leny reports that instructions have
been sent to Penfeld, ordering him to
warn all Americans now in Austria 70
leave the country, and say that If he
has done so, he must-have acted upon
his own initiative, and because of de.
Selopments Of which officials here are
till in ignorance. ID.
Worried For Sailors
The department is much concerned
egarding the whereabouts of the sew
enty.two American sailors captured by
he German raider in the South At
lantic, and taken with other neutrals
% Germany, where they were being
leld as prisoners of war. Reports from
Berlin last night announced that these
;ailors have been released by the Teu.
tonic government but to date this gov
,rnment has received no official word
to that effect, although the state depart.
ment yesterday forwarded TO Berlin,
through the Spanish ambassador, who
s acting for the United States in the
Ierman capital, formal request for
some information that might be con
idered official. ..fs.
The fate of the eighty-six eonsuls
and their stats and families in Ger
many is still uncertain. They were to
ave left Germany on a special train
hat was scheduled TO depart from Ber-
in Immediately after that bearing the
iormer ambassador, Mr.. Gerard, but SO
far nothing more has been given out
regarding them from Germany That
they have been detained from some
'ause, deliberate or accidental is APP
parent on the face of things. rs"...-
These and other developments of the
lay were among the matters which the
President discussed at a conference
with the members of his cabinet yes.
terday afternoon. The whole sub.
marine warfare situation was thorough
ly considered, il is said, and the con-
ference lasted the best part Of an
hnur atsH. .'J'. +, .-'.r t... 90. t....