Newspapers / Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, … / Feb. 12, 1917, edition 1 / Page 1
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WEATHER. AN ADVERTISER can always afford whatever adds to the expansion of his business. Buy space liberally. Fair and colder Monday; Tuesday, probably fair, with slowly rlBlng tem perature. A. 33. jL35X Stab fount fi! -m&smmimm rera wa&sss&ma a ( 1 VOL. XCIX-NO. 138. GOVERNMENT MA Y SOON POSSIBLE FOR AMERICAN SHIPS TO BE ARMED AGAINST U-BOA TS forced Idleness of the Merchant Fleet is Being Viewed With Growing Concern. IGNORE GERMAN REQUEST? Proposal for Discussion of Means to Prevent War Strikes No Responsive Chord. UJKAT ACTIVITY CHECKED Is Not Thought Now England Can j be Completely Isolated. Washington, February 11. Am erican shipowners who have been holding their vessels in port -be- . cause of inability to obtain guns for defense against submarines, probably will have their difficulty solved in a few days. Strong inti mations were given in official 1.1.1 1 1 . l . government will not actually arm merchant craft or even formally advise arming, a way will be found (iliai'ters lonigilt Tnat wnue Uie ! tnree quarters of a mile, was CaptUr Qi nnl 01 C ( " L- o c mn,ln - i c n v. n r. to put weapons at tfte aispOSa Ol &ioug the 1lne trench raids, bombard i -Pw ments and aerial activitv have fea- rvners who uesut" tu yicpnc i defense asuinst lllejral attack. i n-wt,.,, w 11 nrr American, 'in Earl Rice, ship's surgeon, of Portland, Oregon, was on board the British India liner Mantola. torpedoed off the, Irish coast February 8. Consul Frost at Imeenstown cabled the State Depart ment today that the steamer was" tors I pedocd without warning, but that ev erybody escaped except seven Iascars. EARL RICE GIVES STORY OF SINKING OF STEAMER London, Feb. 11. Earl M. .Rice, of Portland, Oregon, ship's surgeon of the Mantola and the only American on board her, w-as among the survivors of the torpedoed steamer who arrived -in London this afternoon. He gave the i-:ociated Press the following account of the sinking: 'The first we knew was'the sound of . " i a violent explosion wnicn snooK me f'ny iruni enu to ena at i;iu p. m. on Thursday Th sea. was fatrlv roueh wit the ship maintained an even keel and excellent order was preserved, t'aptain Chavas immediately ordered te boats launched. . 'Seven Lascars were killed by the ex plosion. The remainder of those on bor.rd were unhurt. Everybody got Kfely into the boats with the exception f the captain, the chief engineer and the wireless operator, who were to toilow us later. "Nobody had yet seen the submarine and everybody in the boats was peer inS into the haze, in a vain effort to tch a glimpse of the tell-tale peri s'Pe. An hour and a half after the rpedoing. the captain, the engineer a"d the wireless man got the wireless working and began sending out "S. O. calls giving details of the position. "The reply came almost instantly, but 'rom an unexpected quarter. The submarine, which evidently was lying 0 in the liaze, two miles or so away, P:tKed up the wireless and began-shell-ne Mantola from 4,000 yards distance, jwanwhile approaching at full speed so lne range rapidly decreased. Some the -hells were loaded with shrap- which burst around the Mantola n aund the lifeboats. The latter d returned close to the Mantola, but Bailors now put all their muscle in the oars to increase their distance the submarine's target. Portun ...e'y "obody was hurt by the shells "'ugn everybody wai is badly fright- -teg. flai "-' ,1'rr,e the Submarine was Htniy visille.ier guns emitting angry to, Bashes as they sent their missiles ar'J t!l" Mantola. One cool-headed Bof!tnser on my boat took out a pocket er his ,Ss every time the submarine fired. I'ecorrl c-1-,, 4 1 A . - k... -jf-jws mat ii sneiis were fired "The submarine was within 200 or 300 H8 ' ;'r ,hfi Mantola when an uniden kaz ,Vc Sffl began to loom up 0n the y horizon. The submarine's com meri ''lo?ed hia batches quickly, sub 6ea1C v,and di:iaPPeared, to the un- tr-h i 6 relief of "s a11- The "neW hi k provecl to be a British sloop ,;P Picked up the survivors. ho, r-e 7rp- iu "r boats about six In '-'" re Mantola sank in thceyen- tfEER KILLED WHEN BRITISH STEAMER IS SUNK r J"l?n- Feb- 11 The British steam- 1 IH 1-.4C.-1-. 1..- . . . Pin , "a feen sunk, Lloyd's Ship- roi-n.i6 nafi killd and two men were ?wndel by gun nre. The crew were in at- f, r nine hours before they were caed a 1 E jr fcritis , w mv jji ivinii d waiMvi of 3.SU tons gross, in the er Saiia government service. No steam- Via, is listed in available, rec- ONE STEAMER WAS YESTERDAY S TOLL Submarine "Blockade" Does Not Deter the British in Their Drive for Bapaume. GERMAN POSITIONS TAKEN Austrian Raid Italian Trendies Mod ification of 1 -Boat "Warfare May Be Discussed la Conference WHk Kaiser ' Sunday's report of Germany's under water boat campaign showed only one vessel, the British steamer Salaga, 3, 811 "tons, as having been sent to the bottom. i The British continue their operations against the Germans, with Baupaume their objective. Saturday night a strong system of tranches to the north of Beaux; -Hamei, hi the Somme region, extending over a front of more than . k TS South of the river, near Pys, other trenches were taken and German at tempts to recapture their lost positions south of Sailly-Saillisel wore frustrat ed by the British guns. Elsewhere ' , .c zv- There has been considerable fighting the Austro-ltalian zone and in Mes- Opotamla" between the- British- and Turks. In the Gorlzia sector of the former theatre, the Austrians are re ported to have entered Italian trenches, inflicted heavy casualties on the de fenders and captured 65 men In ad dition,., machine guns, bomb throwers and muichwar material were taken. Rome admits the occupation of small positions of the Italian front iine trenches in this region, but says they 1 - . are being kept under Barrage nre oy the Italians. In Mesopotamia, the British in their operations against the Turks have oc cupied a new front of more than 6, 000 yards, pushing back the Turks for a depth varying from 800 to 1,000 yards. In the eastern theatre the Germans captured Russian trenches near Stan islau, ' in Galicia, but later were forced to evacuate them, according to Petro- grad. Unofficial advices are to the effect . i umi ""aui T ' luiiiunnui " v - - which will be attended by Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg, the Imperial chan cellor, and high army and navy officers. The possibility of modifying Germany's submarine warfare, so far as it ap plies to neutrals, will, it is said, discussed. - be C'lubhouaw la Burned Petersburg, Va., Feb. 11. The Du Pont clubhouse at Hofcewell, Va., own ed by the E. I. DuPont DeNemours Company, was. destroyed by fire early today with all its contents. The build ing was erected two years ago ' at a cost of $50,$00. The origin of the fire has not been learned. EFFORT OF BRITISH TO ALARM GERMAN PUBLIC News Reports Said United States Had Seized German Ships. Reliable Wireless Mefwrages, Refuting Sach Statements, Had Aatonnding and Sensational Effect In BeWto. . Berlin, Feb. 11, (via SayvlUe,) With reference to the present condition of Ge'rnian -American relations, the Ger man foreign secretary, Dr. Alfred Zim mermann, made the following state- to the Overseas News ment today Agency: ""We now Ijave practically no speedy or reliable information about the Unit ed States. The best proof of this 13 furnished by two wireless messages which were sent February 5 -by the correspondent in the United States of the German news agency and which arrived yesterday,, the contents p these two short messages were astound ing, even sensational, for- they told that the United States government had not confiscated German ships in Arricr- ican1 ports nor interned Germans restd - inr in tYiv TTnitp.d States. "Until yesterday morning, all We knew about these matters had passed through English channels and the gfct of thene reports was that the United States' government actually had violat ed the property and liberty of German citlzentf. "English agents by thus adulterat ing the truth did not intend, of course, to sian4r the United States. Their in (Continued on Pago Two) MisraTOK, n. WiKElT (INI Y AMPRIHAM DN I GERARD NOW OFF OF GERMAN SOIL ' Auf Wiedersehen On Broadway" the Envoy Shouts As Train Starts From Berlin GETS CHEERFUL FAREWELL Besides Embassy Stall Fully 110 Other Americans Take Departure for Swltzerland Expected at Berne Yesterday Morning. I Berlin, Saturday, Feb. 10 (By wireless to The Associated Press, via Sayville, Feb. 11.) James W. Gerard, the Ameri can ambassador, and his staff, left Ber lin at, 8:10 o'clock tonight for Switzer land. Besides the embassy staff, 110 other Americans accompanied him. The leave-taking was very cordial, members of the, foreign office seeing the ambas sador oC Mr. Gerard will await instructions in , break ,n relaUon8 from resulting in Berne before proceeding wa apparently ha8 struck no respon- The train on which -the ambassador sive chord here No official would in Berlin consisted of ten coaches. ! dicate tod whethV a reply already Fully 290 Americans who are remain- had bften , but ihere was no dis ng in Berlin were on hand to take position to deny tha the proposal had leave regretfully of their countrymen, Deeif made or that .the American gov- strenuous preparations for leaving, were somewhat ttretraught. "Good bye, judge," some one shouted i I V , ; Ar f hi- ! leaning far out of the window of his' car, replied: "Auf wiedersehen on Broadway." The former ambassador's face wore a smile as he waited for the train to" de part, and he expressed himself optimls tically with regard to further develop- ment in the German-American tlia- Atthe station Count Montgelas, head of the American section Of the foreign ; office, and Herr von"Prittwt, personal . , c TV.Y iniotAr 7.1m-. preseuiauvp ui rvicigu mermann, were present to bid Mr. G.er ard farewell. . '- Thediplomatic corps was represented by Poloby Bernabe, the Spanish ambas sador, who is to take over the interests of the United States; Dr. Theotoky, the Greek minister; Baron Gevers, the Dutch minister, . and the diplomats of the South American republics. The mil itary authorities and the foreign office assigned- special - officers to accompany the train to the Swiss frontier, where it is due to arrive at 8 o'clock tomor row morning. On the way to tne iron t ri vi 7 m II r ii i ii a. tier the train will pick up a score or more Americans -attached to consular offices hi southern Germany. The disposition of the ambassadorial train-after its arrival In Zurich rests with, the Swiss government, which is awaiting instructions -from France. It is considered likely, however, that the American party will stay 'in Berne for a few days. 7 FORMER ENVOY. AND PARTY REACH THE. SWISS BORDER Zurich, Switzeflandi via Paris, Feb. 11. The American ambassador, James W. Gerard, arrived at the Swiss bound ary at Schaffhausen . at 4 ' o'clock this afternoon. He was met by. the Ameri (Continued on Page Two) R AND U-BOAT Arrivals on Kroonland Tell of See ing Two Strange Vessels. Officers and Passengers Reaching New York" Tell of Witnessing Subma rine Destroy Dutch Ship Off the Irish Coast. New York, Feb. 11. Two mysteri ous vessels, one said to have been a submarine the other having every ap pearance of being, rajder. or submarine supply ship, were sighted in mid-ocean jMonday, February 5, by officers and pas-1 sengers of the American Line steam ship Kroonland, which arrived here to day from Liverpool. On February 1, One' day "out from Liv erpool, those on board declared they witnessed the destruction of a Dutch freighter by shell fire from a. subma rine. The Kroonland thert was about 11 .'miles off the Irish coast and oppo site Fastnet light. The crew of the ship sunk took refuge in a life boat, and, were towed away by the submers ible, it was said. The Kroonland Was ("within five miles of the Dutch- steamer, and her crew and passengers declare they saw the submersible come , to, the- surface, approach j.he freighter, then sink her by three shots' from, a deck' gun. The Dutch ship went down- in" about, live minutes. Captain Barhtan,' of the Kroonland, said "ire was getting. ready to go totho rescue of Ure. crew when he saw that the U-boat had in tow the" one me ooax into wnicn tno crew had taken, refuge. -While the Dutch ship was being de . (Continued on Page Two) RAD SEEN IN MID-OCEAN? Cv MOpay morning, STEAMER MANTOLA AMOKlSURVIVORS it . Earl Rice, o Oregon, Escaped When Ship p$ar Sunk With out Warnin ttfF Irish Coast. gr' SEVEN LAS3LARS PERISHED American Survivor Gives an Ac count ofthe Sinking to the Associated Press. Idleness Of Ships Disquieting The enforced idleness of the Ameri- lean merchant fleet , is . being viewed with growing disquiet and the general view here is that not only the export trade but the nation's standing be fore the world demands that Ameri can vessels continue to oly the high seas without regard to the German proclamation which the government has repudiated with the most severe j means in its power"short of war. No Reply to Germany f The German proposal delivered to the State Department yesterday that t manna Ha rtif kra1 nf Tirpvpntiup f It ernment regarded it -a aSh effort on the I part of Germany to befog the issue. It was made clear everywhere in govern ment circles that there"was nothing to discuss unless Germany desired to stop ..... . , j 2,, abridging American rights and illeg ally menacing American life. Emperor Call Conference In connection with ,the German sug gestion interest attached to cabre di3- Patchy aouncipg tnavEmperor Wil- 1"l,u "ftu uaiivu 4 Vjjvv.vi, (jt vijuui My to'- discii';tMT IP aign and the positio neutrals. X was suggested that out or the confer ence might come something more tan gible than the mere oral suggestion that Germany would like to discuss means of preventing the addition of another nation to her long list of enemies. What has been done so far Is con strued only as an attempt to place up on the United States the appearance of belligerency. Believing the chief pur pose is to bewilder public opinion here and divide the country, the move is about as unwelcome here as if Mr. Ger ard in Berlin had gone behind the Ger man government through the Spanish ambassador, who represents the United States there, irt an appeal to the Ger man people on a wholly incomplete is sue. May Ignore German Proposal Whether any sort of answer beyend a mere . acknowledgment to the Swiss minister who presented the suggestion yesterday will be made Is uncertain, as that matter rests entirely with Presi-. dent Wilson- Opinions differ, some believing it wise to ignore the sug gestion entirely. The fact that only one vessel was destroyed in the war zone today and that the number has been growing smaller daily; has modified the views of those who thought the new cam paign might completely isolate Eng- land. Reports from British sources that less than 90 vessels out of 1,100 going' to and from England have been destroyed since the campaign -started are regarded, as significant -as to the success of the under-sea warfare to date. Precautions in Arming Ships Tn, the matter of permitting the arm ing of American ships, the government will take every precaution, it is un derstood, not to go further officially than It has already gone in telling ship owners that they are justified in arming for self -protection if they think it necessary. Strong opposition has developed from the beginning of the armament discussion to any step which would seem to implicate the country absolutely in the actual ma chinery of armament. . Nevertheless, officials believe that so long as the government has repudiat ed Germay's war zone "and officially notified American ship owners to their right to arm for self-projtection, . the owners should be put in a position to exercise that right. The statement of P. A. S. Franklin that he has vainly sought guns and gunners- for the Amer ican liners has put the question square ly up to the government. .President Wilson has made prac tically no engagements for the coming week but is keeping his time free for work on the submarine question, and on his legislative program still pend ing in Congress. He may be expected to pay at least one visit to the capltol during the week, and, to visit the State War and Navy- Departments.: EMPEROR- CALLS CONFERENCE AT HEADQUARTERS AT FRONT May Discuss Negotiations With Neu trals for Modifying 17-Boat Warfare London, Feb. 11.- An important con- ference at headquarters has been called by Emperor William presumably to discuss the submarine questiqn, says the Exchange Telegraph Company's Amsterdam correspondent today. -Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg, the imr perial chancellor, and high army and navy officials will attend, and it is re j ported, adds the correspondent, that the possibility of negotiations with neutrals cEor -modifying- the -terms of the recent German memorandum will be discussed. February 12, 1917 LITTLE HOPE PREVAILS IN BERLIN OF AVERTING WAR WITH THE UNITED STATES Rupture in Relations Was Foreseen Decision Reached on Kaiser's Birthday to "Blockade" Allies Associated Press Representa tive, Formerly, at Berlin, Tells of the Developments Leading Up to the Present Crisis. Copenhagen, via London, Fob. 11. Little hope or expectation prevails in Berlin that war with the United States is avoidable, or that a modus Vivendi reconciling the policies of the two gov ernments can be found. There now is a desire on the part of the authorities and a vast bulk , of the people to avoid actual hostilities in any way consistent with the general lines of the present submarine policy, but only in such a way. Accordingly, In structions were given, so the Associat ed Press has been reliably informed, to submarine commanders before they started on their February mission, to take the safe side when neutral ves sels, particularly American, were in question, whenever possible. Enemy merchantmen, when recognized as such, were ordered to De sunk at sight, but LEGISLATURE HAS FULL SLATE AHEAD Municipal Government Measure Must Be Passed Revenue Bill Yet to Be Introduced GOOD ROADS BILL DRAFTED ': ' bitlon ' Bill ' Have , , About Imt Hp Only Three MW Wek. of the Session (BY W. J. MARTIN) Raleigh, N. C., Feb- 11. There is quite a deal of work to be crowded into three remaining weeks of the Legislature, enactment of measures that will necessarily take much time on the floors of both Houses in dis cussion before they reach the stage of enrollment for .ratification. While the bills for providing ma chinery for the government of towns and cities to operate under the chang ed conditions brought about by the adoption of the Constitutional Amend ments both the bills for the forms af town government and that of the con trol of the financial side of the muni cipal activities have been introduced, they will require very considerable discussion during their passage thro readings. Revenue and Machinery Bills The revenue and machinery bills are yet to come.- The committee work on the revenue bill has just been com pleted" and the document committeed to foe State printers. Chairman Doughton Of the House committee says the blfll will probably somewhat in crease the revenue, nut the principal source of increased revenue Is design ed to be In machinery that will pre vent the escape of a great part of the taxables that have been shirking taxa tion in the past. The revenue bill is very much as it was the past 2 years, with some chang es in schedules B & C, some .special taxes raised and some lowered. The machinery Is to Include provision that the State Tax Commission shall send its auditors to the counties to check up the Sheriffs and see that there is a general cutting down: of the volume of taxables that in the past avoided their share of the burden. The tax rate is to. remain the same 27 2-3 cents on the hundred dollars, including the four cents for pensions. The bill will be introduced Monday or Tuesday. Good Roads Measure Another most important bill that is to come into the Legislative mill the coming week is the general road bill, which has been drawn by leading members of two houses in conjunction with Dr. Joseph Hyde Pratt and mem bers of State Highway Commission. This measure will contain a number of new departures designed to quick en and facilitate construction and maintenance throughout the State. TKere; will be the necessary machinery for township and county bond Issues and special tax levies subject to the will of people. Under it counties may issue county bonds under which there will be subsidiary township bonds with a shade higher interest so that within a period of years the township bonds ' and the county bonds will be automatically liquidated. It will be introduced the coming week. "Antis" About Abandoned Hope The advocates . of the antl-saloon league" legislation that has been urged l&okihg -to cutting down receipts of liquors by Individuals from 2 quarts per month to 2 quarts per year, with miles and miles of red tape in getting the bare two quarts a year for medi cinal purposes, have about abandoned hope of getting any reduction of ship ment and receipt rights at this session. They are : turning their " attention how to securing the passage of a bill to (Continued on Pare Two) neutral merchantmen were to be warn ed, when such action, in their judg ment, was consistent with the object of the campaign and the safety of their own ships. Break Clearly Foreseen It was realized, however, after the prompt 'and. resolute stand taken by President Wilson, that these orders could only be palliative and only defer, not avoid, an ultimate break. Also, that if President Wilson stood by his announcement that the destruction of American ships or lives would be re garded as ail act of hostility, a casus belli must come sooner or later prob ably sooner on account of the num ber of Americans on enemy ships. More over, there .was the discretionary na ture of the instructions to submarine commanders, who were Informed that while the careful course towards neu trals was recommended and desired, they would no longer be subjected to punishment for departing . from their (Continued on Page Two) NAVAL BILL TO 6E Measure Now Before tne House Carries Amendments Suggest ed by Secretary Daniels,. REVENUE BILL AGREED ON Democratic Senators in Pledge J .Full PnrV Slifcnojrt Congress Again Gets Sown to General Washington. Feb. 11. -The , diploma tic breach with Germany having been approved by the senate, Congress is devoting itself to important general business, together with emergency measures necessitated by the strained international situation. - Tuesday the House will pass the naval appropriation bill, together with amendments urged by Secretary Dan iels providing authority to commandeer ship yards and munitions plants and appropriating $1,000,000 for the pur chase of basic patents of aircraft. The army Appropriation bill carrying ap proximately $300,000,000 will be put through next week as quickly as pos sible. The emergency measures awaiting action in the Senate include espion age and conspiracy bills recommend ed by the attorney general and amend ments to the shipping laws. Tomor row the Senate expects to pass the Porto Rican citizenship . bill, after which a fight again will be -Instituted for legislation in the pending post office appropriation bill increasing the rate on newspapers and . periodicals and providing for one cent drop letter postage. . Revenue legislation also will be pressed in the Senate within a few days. Reserve Bill Approved Democratic senators today at their third revenue caucus finally approved, with amendments, the bill passed by the House to provide approximately $350,000,000 additional revenue to meet the anticipated treasury deficit. The House provisions to raise $248,000,000 through additional taxes on inherit ances and "excess proflts" and for a bond issue of $100,000,000 to pay for the Danish West Indies, Alaska rail road and other expenses were modified only slightly. The "excess profits" tax on corpora tions and partnerships was limited by the caucus to expire automatically in four years. Also an amendment was inserted providing that the present tax of 12 1-2 per cent on munitions makers profits shall end in six, instead of 12 months after peace is declared. The caucus rejected an amendment to add the Webb exporters' co-operative bill as a "rider" to the revenue bill, which may prevent passage of the Webb bill at the present session. The caucus pledged all Democratic senators to support the entire revenue bill as amended, except that they are left unpledged on Senator Underwood's provision to reduce the tax on oleo margarine from 10 to 2 cents a pound. It is proposed to press the revenue bill for passage as soon as tne post office appropriation bill is out t of the way. Other matters being pressed in the Senate are the railroad labor legisla tion bill, the bill giving the Presi dent authority to take over the rafl roads in time of war or threatened war, the flood control, rivers and harbors and oil land leasing bills. - The House rules committee probably will make, a report on its "leak" in vestigation during the last half of the week. Hearings will be resumed in New York Wednesday, and, it is ex pected, on Thursday or Friday the committee will return nere to frame its report. Present indications are that there will be a majority and a minority repOrt. ' . Wednesday Congress will meet in . (Continued on Page Two) PASSEO TOMORROW "WHOXiE NCJCBER 39,853 BERLIN HAD ONLY NEWS REPORTS OF Detention of Americans Due to a Misconception of Treatment of Germans Here. ATTITUDE IS NOW CHANGED " . '-rrr tm Americans in Germany Have Full Liberty, Although Delayed in ' Securing Passports. Copenhagen, Feb. 11, (via London).--. The fM?1 -jWcramenV.s'-attluA in endeavorHf to ruciAmbassadoi'e'r ard to sign a protocol re-affirming the old-time treaties with the United States regaling mutual protection of nation als in case of hostilities, and the hints of possible detention of American news paper men as hostages, was undoubted ly influenci by alarmist dispatches from the United States regarding treat ment of German citizens and property there, the Associated Press correspond- ent who left Berlin Saturday morning and now has reached Copenhagen, is able to state. As soon as re-assuring advices were received from the United States and as soon, too, as the German govern ment saw that the attempt to negotiate a protocol re-ratlfylng the treaty of 1799 with additions and expansions had failed, ft receded from its position, and. nothing further was heard of newspa permen as hostages. Proposed Re visa 1 of Treaties The protocol, which, Count Montgelas. head of the American department of the German foreign office, submitted to Am. bassador Gerard on the part of Foreign Secretary Zimmermann, contained be sides a formal re-rattficatlon of, the treaty provisions of lT99,and ItZt, tg gardlng mu&aaj . treaJauent pi nations caught in a belligerent country in the case of war," a "number of injgpdrtant ad ditions and expansions.- It provided that merchants should be allowed to continue their business and retain their residences until the end of the war un molested; that no law affecting the va lialty of '"contracts should be applied to Germans in America, or to Americans in Germany and that all patents should be inviolate -a question of importance in view of the high value if 'fct the in dlspensability of certain German pat ents in the manufacture of munitions and explosives. Would Safeguard Enemy Shins Quite as trenchant in its bearing on the pending problems was the pro vision of an Instrument which Ambas sador Gerard was asked to sign speci fying that not only enemy property as s-ch should be exempt from seizure or restrictions in its use beyond 'those ap plying to all property, that enemy ships in the ports of the opponents should not be seized during the war or to leave port unless to sail under safe con. duct, and guarantee the exemption from seizure by allied belligerents from a. home port. Provision also was made for a safe conduct when It was neces sary to move ships from one port to an other in the same country. The proto col forbade explicitly any internment or restrictions upon the liberty bi movement of enemy nationals within the limits of the opponent country, and for confirmation of certain articles of The Hague conventions, particularly as to. treatment of the personnel of ene my merchant ships captured or caught within an opponent country. Gerard Stood Firm. Ambassador Gerard's refusal to sign the treaty after he had ceased to nr- form his ambassadorial functions or to telegraph for instruction unless he was permitted to use code led Count Mont gelas to hint that a refusal to sign the protocol might materially affect the status of Americans In Germany, and the privilege of departure, mentioned specifically of the American correspond ents whom Ambassador Gerard desired to take out with him, and whose fate was apparently thought to - carry par ticular weight in American public opin ion. This Intimation of the purpose of detaining of Americans even under the status of a ruptjure of diplomatic rela tions, not war, and the" use of newspa per representatives as supposedly im portant pieces upon the diplomatic chessboard, cansed Mr. Gerard to de clare roundly that he could not be a party to "and such pressuhe,' and that he doubted whether any of the newspa per men cpuld be "sand bagged" or in fluenced in any way by considerations of personal safety or convenience, and that he must persist In his earlier ex pressed stand point regarding these ne gotiations. From that point nothing further was heard of the protocol or of the purpose of detaining Americans Influenced by Alarmist Dispatches The German government's attitude undoubtedly was influenced by the press dispatches with which the Ger man newespapers were then being flooded, asserting that German ships were being seized 'and their crews in terned in the United States, these dis patches being virtually the only news which the government was then receiv ing, no official communication from Count von Bern'storff having come since a time several days before the rupture of relations. . As soon as authoritative information was received in direct dispatches that the reports of the confiscation of ships and the internment of sailors were In correct and that no obstacles were tun ing placed in th way of Count von, Bernstorff's departure under a safe con duct, arrangements for the issuance ofi (Continued on Page BlghQ ALARMIST NATURE
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