The Washington times., 1917-02-20
OFFICIALS DENY
CRISIS HAS ABATED
State Department Authorities
See No Basis for Talk of I'M
proved Situation.
Continued from First Page.)

"a o6S'J
vergence of views among those close
to the President that is every bit as
marked as the divergence in Con-
gress. No one means, of course, to
imply that if there was another
Lusitania outrage official and Con-
gressional opinion would not at once
crystalIize into a united demand for
action; but the present appearance
of a division, the State Department
fears, will have the effect in Ger
many of bringing on the overt act.
Might Escape.
Even should the American freight
ers, the Orleans and the Rochester
which are now believed to be in the
war zone, succeed in escaping, 1t was
declared at the State Department to-
day, it could not be taken for grant
ed that Germany has abandoned her
submarine campaign.
Good fortune or the activity OF Brit
ish patrol boats in the vicinity OF the
freighters, it was pointed out, might
just as we'll be given credit for the
vessels escape.
IN OIneT WOTuS-dIlu va SAS
State Department declare that this
cannot be too strongly emphasized
there can be no justification for the
statement that the "situation is i'm
proved" until Germany formally
abandons her war zone decree.
What the President himself be
lieves. concerning the outlook cannot
be learned direct from him. In char
acteristic fashion he has shut himself
off from all intercourse with news
paper representatives.
No Present Prospect.
His last interview with members of
the Senate last Saturday created the
impression among those with whom
he talked, that he would go before
Congress this week to seek authority
to use the army and nav yto protect
American shipping. Yet today IL was
declared again in White House quar-
ters that there is no present prospect
of his doing any such thing. Even
the suggestion that he will go before
that body just before adjournment,
fails to find any encouragement in
these quarters.
OF subordinate Importance to the
main issue the case of the Yarrowdale
prisoners held in Germany and the
matter of the Americaps missionaries
detained in Turkey, are being handled
as energetically as possoible by tie
State Department, in view of the n
willingness of the Administration to
take any drastic steps.
Expect Release.
Department officials believe that
the Yarrowdale men are going 10 be
released eventually and they say they
have reason to believe that the Turk
ish government will make ntccs-
sary arrangements for the departure
of the missionaries.
Officials fear, however, that success
in this direction will be magnified in
the public mind to the extent of
causing the American people to il Sc
site of the bigger issue involved
Germany's submarine decree.
The State Department understands
that Turkey is willing to have the
missionaries depart ON the cruiser
Des Moines and the collier Caesar,
which are anchored off Alexandria
waiting to proceed to Beirut for this
purpose.
Must Get Guarantees.
The American war vessels, how
ever, will not proceed to Beirut
they would have to pass through the
Mediterranean section of the war
zone-without guarantees that these
vessels would not be attacked.
The State Department refuses to
seek these guarantees direct from
Germany, for such action would be
tantamount to a recognition of the
war zone.
Turkey must set them. ana it was
indicated today that the Ottoman
government will be so advised.
DIXIE BECOMES AMERICAN.