The Washington times., 1917-03-12
FORMAL NOTICE OUT
ON ARMING OF SHIPS
U. S. Announces to World 1t
Will Defend American Ships
From U-BoatS.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

ious correspondence with Germany,
and as held to now is that mar
chant vessel however armed, cannot
be regarded as a warship unless em-
ployed as a warship.
At the same time officials of the
State Department made il plain today
that they are not concerning them
selves now with these fine distinc-
tions.
Nor, for that matter, is the Govern
ment as a whole.
Simple Formula.
From the standpoint of officials
who have followed from the outset
the development of Germany's SUBJ
marine warfare the situation as be-
tween the United States and Germany
has now resolved itself into the simp-
lest of formulas:
Germany has threatened to sink on
sight all American merchant vessels
that enter a certain prescribed sea
Area.
The United States is arminE all
American merchant vessels to fire at
. sight on all German submarines that
approach them.
Whether a German submarine first
attacks an American ship, or an
American ship first fires on a subma-
rine, the Government at Washington,
from the President down, realizes
that war will follow.
Feel War Is Sure.
Officials generally feel that war is
inevitable. Many of them, believing
It inevitable, appear just as well sat
isfied that it should come now as later.
Their attitude IS strikingly reflect
ed by the fact that they are no longer
as guarded as heretofore in discussing
the possibilities of war.
Nor are they loath to admit that
the Government has ceased exercising
the extreme care that was formerly
employed to avoid appearing to chal-
lenge pro-German propaganda in this
country
No hesitancy was shown at the
State Department today, for example,
in making it plain that, regardless
of the protests of Chairman bill"
Stone of the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions Committee and other pro-Ger-
man leaders of Congress, guns and
gunneEs are to be supplied by the
Government to ships that carry muni-
tions of war to the entente countries
as well as to ships that do not en-
gage in the arms traffic.
Sought Amendment.
At the time of the flibuster seainst
the armed neutrality bill in the clos
ing hours of the last session, Senator
Stone sought to have adopted an
amendment prohibiting the, President
from supplying guns and gunners to
munition ships. The contention of
Senator Stone and others of the group
of filIbusters was that the arming of
ships as planned by the Government
meant waL
Officials OF the Administration admit
today that II probably will mean war.
But they also hold-many of them
that virtual state OF war has existed
relations between the two countries
President Sees Lansing.
Secretary Lansing was with the Pres
ident some time today before dispatch
bers Of the Diplomatic Corps.
The President. much improved from
his cold. but kept indoors by his ply
sician. also received Senator Martin Of
Virginia. The latter reported back to
the Democratic caucus that the Presi-
dent was more than ever insistent that
the Colombian treaty should be ratified
at once, although leaders in the caucus
admitted that it was practically certain
that the necessary two-thirds majority
for the treaty could not be obtained.
The President explained that he
wanted the treaty passed at once in
order TO remove all danger Of trouble
at this time in the vicinity OF the Pam
anna Canal