The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-02-14
SUBMARINES WILL
USE CAUTION
BUT ORDERS TO UNDERSEA
RAIDERS TO BE CAREFUL IN
DEALING WITH AMERICAN
SHIPS CAN ONLY DEFER THE
ULTIMATE BREAK BEYOND
REPAIR.

Copenhagen, Feb. II (via Lon
dom Little hope prevails in Ber-
lin that war with the United States
is avoidable or that a modus vivendi
, reconciling the policies of the two
governments can be found.
The authorities and vast bulk
of the people desire to avoid hostili-
ties in any way consistent with the
general lines of the present subma-
rine policy but only in such a way.
Accordingly instructions were given,
so the Associated Press has been re-
liably informed, to submarine COM
manders before they started on their
February mission to take the safe
side when neutral vessels, particu-
larly American, were in question
whenever possible. Enemy mer-
chantmen were ordered to be sunk
at sight but neutral merchantmen
were to be warned when such action
was consistent with the objects of
the campaign and the safety of their
own ships.
It was realized, however, after the
prompt and resolute stand taken by
President Wilson that these orders
could only be palliative and only de-
fer, not avoid an ultimate break.
Also that if President Wilson stood
by his announcement that destruc-
ton of American lives or ships
would be regarded as an act of hos
tility, a casus belli must come soon
er or later-probably sooner on ac-
count of the number of Americans
on enemy ships. Moreover, there
was the discretionary nature of the
instructions to submarine comman-
ders who were informed that while
the careful course toward neutrals
was recommended and desired, they
would no longer be punished for de-
parting from their former procedure
of warning if they found this mad
visable.
Only One Chance.
It is considered that the only pos
sibility of the avoidance of hostili-
ties would result from a modifca-
ton of its standpoint by one or the
other side and so far as could be
judged from the positive declara-
tions of Alfred Zimmerman, the
German minister of foreign affairs,
and Berlin, there was no probabili-
ty that Germany would give way
this time or abandon the ruthless
campaign now started.
German American relations again
and again have passed through crises
apparently almost hopeless but this
time even the optimists can scarcely
see any peaceful egress of the i'm
passe. -.
From a neutral cable office it now
is possible to tell the story of the
development of the present crises,
on which the most rigid censorship
has been applied in Germany. To
the observer in Berlin the approach
of the crises had been plainly and
definitely evident since rejection of
Germany's peace overtures. Infor-
nation as to Germany's definite de-
cision to start a sharpened subma-
rine war and even the form it would
take was received by the Associated
Press almost on the morrow of Am
bassador Gerard's speech on Ger
man-American good relations, de-
livered at the banquet of the Ameri-
can Association of Commerce and
Trade early in January.
A week later it was stated that
full decision on the situation had
not been reached and that the cam
paign would not be launched until
after further consultations with
Germany's allies and receipt of GER
tain information from Count Won
Bernstorff and Count Tarnowski Won
Tarnow of their conception of armed
merchantmen and their liability to
attack as warships.