Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-29
U-BOATS PLAN ATTACK
ON ARMED SHIPS


| Austrian submarine commanders certainly
| will attack without warming any ouomy
| merchant ships armed fCre and aft. The
| arminE Of BriNrh French and italian shi0s
| in this way will be held to- he prima facje
! proof that the guns are intended for Of
! fousivo as we'll rs defensive usc. Con
scqucuAly ships so armed viii be treated
as warshIps by the naval forces of the
Central Powers
This statement was made by an au-
thority In close touch with Tcutonic diplo-
mats here. lie added that So far as known
| no definite advices along this line had
reached the German or Austrian Emhne-
sizes. Nevertheless, there is not the slight
est doubt, according to this authority that
German submarine commanders viii at
tack without a momout: warning any mcr-
chant ship found armed fore and aft
Tho declaration was drawn forth by re.
ports published In the last few days that
ships are beginning to arrive on this side
Of the Atlantic virtually armed fore and
att though the present plan Of the En-
tente appears TO he to dtsmount the for
ward guns before entering harbors in the
United states.
If these reports were correct it was said
the fact that the forward guns arc dis
mounted on the high seas is n confession
that they are intended for offensive pur-
poses, and the Entente is not dcsirous Of
having the issue raised directly with the
United States Government.
The United States has asked Germany
for all of the facts connected with the
capture Of the British steamship Yarrow-
dale, taken into German port as n prize
"' war secretary Lansing admitted TINS
tooaF. eNp,aIn'hE that Ambassador Gerard
aus" hao peen directed 10 make certain
those VINO are being held MS rr,a9nars ' ',5f cf
war
No reply had been received from, AD,bo.-
sador Gerard to the original frqufry along
this line. so the state perartmant. i'm n
second note to the Ambassador directed
that he ascertain all Of the facts
In making this announcements Secretary
Lansing said also that the entire question
of armed merchantmen and their treatment
was now under consideration by him. II is
entirely possible that n new plan Of action
viii he followed by the United States
The Secretary TODAY made II main that
so y,r az rautraI ratfor7s ,-sr, ,.o.r.-,r,,,,
tba,. r,,Is+ cnrrf,Icr ,b, arr, r, 49,
detaflg ~ -hr ar,ra,,sr,t ~ ,,rr.t,,,,
,.es-als
I'm aHalt"h ne pointed ont that the
latest type or submarines now mount
guns OF lalfIE ARG" cIlher. thus changing
lh'ir status originally WNen the Inii"d
states made its original ruling regarding
what shall constitute defensive armament.
submarines depended almost entirely on
their torpedoes. No" thny use their guns
more often than they do torpedoes i'm
snling vessels
For the present Secretary Lansing said.
the United states will operate ON the rul-
ing mad" ny him on March -. 1915 In
ir he held that there must be an indi-
yidual determination or whether vessels
were armed for ofrense or defense
w w
t.. =. I' i'I.N'' - "NltNIN'iS
The ruling, however, placed the burden of
proof that vessel was armed for defense
if II We're attacked on the high seas. on the
attacking force. as follows:
Tho determination, of ,.arIiry, L,
,,rter must rest in no case rno,, me-
,tr,,Dtfar F,,t I,r,o,, ,o,fI,,rf,., l,.i,7,,
hrra,1ee the rcsnorsihilit,- for tha Do
struction If life and property depends
on the actual facts i'm the case and can
not be avoided or lcssencd bv a stand
ard of evidence which bcllfgcrent may
announce as creating "a uregrInDtfon Of
hostile character on the other hand.
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