The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-02-10
DECLARATION OF WAR
Continued from First Page.)

laItonS. nevertheless, the expression
OF sentiment WAS said 10 br he chief
object desired by President Wilson
. in suggesting action to them"
There werr no sensations 10 disturb
The capital to-day. Preparations went
on with quiet rhoroughncsS for all
"ventualtirS Within 4 short time.
perhaps Il few days. officials fear that
! Germany will take the step which will
make these preparations essential.
There Is no expectation here that she
! will modify her plans Or rrlent Suili-
cicntly in her execution Of them 10 al
low even the present dangerous stu
iHtion to continue. In sense the Off
Gals feel that every submarine COM
manGcr virtually has been entrusted
with Il declaration uf war against this
country.
The Open Issue
as 10 GermanyS treatment oil AmDaS'
sador Gerard, which has caused much
ill-iuelinE here, appears about 10 Do
,clearedup. While officials have had
no word from Mr.. Gerard since Fcbru-
AIRY 3, when he reported through Co
pcnhagen that his departure was pc
ing delayed. they accepted press as
patches to-day as To arrangements lot
his leaving tomorrow, ana SAID lhat
confirmation was expected through
The slower official channels.
Officials maintained absolute silence
on Mr.. GerardS detention until TO-
dav. when Secretary Lansing author
lied the following statement:
Il am very loalh TO believe that the
German government Intentionally Is
OBTAINING Ambassador Gerard III Der
lin on any excuse whatsoever.
should be very much SURPRISED II Sucn
.,o,,r..o bnH hunO taken
The incident will b" conSldereu
closed. 80 far as This country IS con-
cprnpd. if press dispatches are borne
Iout and the ambassador is allowed 10
leave. Germany. Nevertheless, ulS,
agreeable IMPRESSION has been created
here.
for the departure OF former NeT!lldn
officials on the Scandlnaflan liner
Frederick VIII. next IucSaa! lLoln
New York via Halifax for Chrlstanla..
were completrd to-day by agents OF
me company and the State Depart
mnnt. The United States. al the sug-
restion of both the owners OF the yes,
sci and Count Won Bernstorg, asked
snecificallv thar, the "Trip be made via
Halifax, in order tC avoid The German
war zone on the route via falmouth or
/ kirkwall, and the British anu fFellcil
governments. in granting SAFE coz
ducts TO the 200 former German ohi,
! Gals, acCeded 10 that request ouV VI
| courtesy to this country.
AS One Explanation
For Tho earnest desire to avoid the
ianDarenlly inevitable break with AUS
| tria- Hungary, il was pointed out 10
! dav thai if that were done all com,
niunication between this country ana
Bulgaria and Tu-key would ne cut
off, This would - particularly Sc
rious for the Al->rican releI WoIh
in SYRIA and Armenia and the l,ooo
or more Americans for whose oepal'
ture for Asia Minor the state llepalr
npnt has succeeded after immense
difficulty in arranging. There has
bren no development in the situation
with Austria since Ambassador Pen
| field last Saturday forwarded from
! Vienna an Austrian note similar put
! moi identical with Germanys. NO
statement has been made as TO wheth-
or the fuller details requested by the
lrpartment from Ambassador Pen
; field have been received.
I Only about half as much tonnage
as during each Of the past three days
was reported sunk in Lloyds de-
spalches received al the department
Today. Whether he sudden drop was
3
ament or destruction of submarines
is not known. The figures for the
next few days, however. will be
watched with deepest interest. as in
dicative Of whether the German at
Tempt TO starve out England can be
successful. Some officials believe
that while the rate during the first
week or so may touch tho minimum
essential to the Germans, ii is apt to
fall off just as the first submarine
campaign fell off with the perfection
of
Methods Of Defense.
In this connection British officials
here claim that the figures show
that four boats out of every five
that are armed, even with a stern
gun, complete their voyage in safety.
Whether armament fore as we'll az
aft would be more efficacious is dis.
puted, but it is expected there VIII
be large developments both along this
line and along the line Of sending
ships out through safeguarded lanes
under fast convoy.
This was one of the subjects dis
cuSsed to-day by the cabinet Tables
taken up showed the number OF yes
sells that enter and leave ports of the
British Isles annually and covered the
number Of ships sent down by the
Germans since the new sea warfare
became
Full Effective.
The statistics studied show that be-
| fore the war $4,000 vessels entered
ports OF the isles annually. and that
about the same number cleared. Since
! the war it. is believed an even greater
number Of ships have entered and left
| although there are no accurate figures
| bearing on the subject. The German
under-Sea boats, it was pointed out,
would have to destroy between 15n
and 200 ships daily 10 stop traffic to
| British shores If vessels continue TO
I traverse the seas as before unrestrict-
ed submarine war was declared But
as many vessels make quick trip To-
the continent, this number would have
10 be discounted. for every ship sunk
would have TO be taken from the list.
There are under the British flag about
$4,000 ships. Sinking Of 100 vessels
daily would destroy the fleet wilhinl
100 days.
For time at least, It, is pointed OUT
neutral vessels will venture into the
| barred zone with extreme caution, but
! high rates the Spanish government is
willing 10 pay, it is declared. will send
| them in later despite the hazard. So.
! far nothing has come through 10 indi-i
cate how many vessels are getting
through the blockade. but It is be-
lieved here the number is relatively
very large.
Resources Pledged.
: NEW YORK. Feb. 4--Fifteen aero
plane manufacturers, with d conf
bined capital of so. nn0, 400 and 4 total