Mohave County miner., 1917-01-20
TEUTONS DISCLAIn
 AGAIN THAT THEY
 STARTED CONFLICT

.SayV1lle)-A SCaCemenC aScrlDeQ 70 competent and well informed auth -ority," replying to the British authOri- tive view of the most recent German and Austrian notes to the neutral governments, was issued today by the Overseas News Agency.
 In the British statement the asser- tion again was made that Germany was responsible for beginning the war, inasmuch as the proposad for a com erence was rejected before the Russian government gave orders for a general mobilization. This is denied in the form of series of counter queries. The statement goes into an- other series of queries on various mat ters, including these:
 "Can England furnish any proof for her affirmation that Germany be- fore the British laid mines in the German sea and placed mines other wise than on the German and Eng fish coasts and at the approaches to British waters after a corresponding warning to neutrals?
 "Is not the German submarine war exclusively reprisal against the Bri- tish policy of starvation?
 Are the British ignorant of the fact that Paris was fortress and was regularly and, according to the laws of war, besieged by the Ger mans?
 "Do the English know that there are Russian prisoner camps where thousands of Germans have perished miserably, such as Totzkoi, where no les than 17,OOO died?
 "Why does not the British press dis cuss the British proposals of 1887 re- garding Belgium?
 "Do the English avoid the confes- sion that the British government knows two interpretations of inter- national law, according as it may be of advantage to her interests?
 'Why did the British government prohibit the publication of reports of Belgian ministers about the encircling policy of England?
 @Is it ashamed of it's own actions ?" result of the conclusion of the work of the joint commission the question is now entirely in President Wilson's hands.
 The lifting of the embargo on the exportation of arms into Mexico has not been considered seriously. This point was taken up once by the joint commission but the Mexican members said they could not be put in the po- sition of asking for the removal of the embargo while the American troops still were on Mexican soil.
 Concern felt by high officers of the army about the possible fate of the American colonists in Chihuahua and of natives who have established friendly relations with General Persh- ing's troops after the force is with drawn has caused a suggestion to be sent to the White House that the United States see to it that the Car ranza government shows evidence of its intention to give adequate protec- tion. That phase of the situation may cause some delay in the order for withdrawal. Dispatches from Mexico $500,000,000 annually, and if it fails to take care of the deficit a S100,- 100000 issue of treasury certificates of indebtedness may be decided on.
 AS agreed to informally today by Democrats of the ways and means committee and approved by the presi- dent and secretary of the treasury, the excess profits tax would be at the rate of eight or ten percent on returns in excess of eight percent on invest ment, and would yield something over S200,000,000; the inheritance tax would be raised to one and one half instead of one percent on minimum estates, and from 10 to 15 percent on those of more than 'S15, 100000, yield ing an additional revenue of about $22,000,00O; and the bond issue of S2S9,00O,OOO would be designated ex- pressly for emergency expenses such as the Mexican trouble, the Alaskan railway, the~new aTmor and nitrate plants, purchase of the Danish West Indies and appropriations for the shipping board.
 In this form the program will be submitted by Democrats of the com mittee to their Republican colleagues, who will be asked to make any sug- gestions immediately so the measure may be brought into the house. Demo cratic Leader Kitchin expects it to pass within a week. fl