GERMANY AND AMERICA

Southland Times, Issue 17657, 15 February 1916, Page 5

GERMANY AND AMERICA

THE NEW GERMAN NOTE. GRAVE APPREHENSION CAUSED. (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright) LONDON, February 13. The Evening News Washington correspondent says that the Austro-German Note has caused the gravest apprehension in administrative circles. President Wilson knew that the Note was imminent as Colonel House (the American Envoy to Germany) told President Wilson on January 25 that Germany had come to a decision, lienee President Wilson’s remarks on January 27 to the effect that lie could not tell what America's international relations of to-morrow would be. President Wilson realised the impossibility of distinguishing between armed and unarmed ships on the seas, and he was convinced that if another unarmed vessel were sunk diplomatic relations must cease. A severance of relations would be followed, so Colonel House informed him, by an immediate declaration of war by Germany. •The Daily Telegraph's New York correspondent states that it is understood that the Entente will not accept Americass proposals with regard to the disarming of merchantmen. Pro-Germans loudly assert that the only alternative is to warn Americans not to travel on armed vessels and to compel such vessels to leave American ports within twenty-four hours after arrival. The correspondent doubts if the threat contained in Germany’s latest Note is likely to succeed.

The Morning Post’s Washington correspondent states that a more serious view is that the Note may cause serious friction. Vessels of American lines, whereon most Americans now travel, will not carry munitions. Germany will have no interest in sinking them and will devote her energies to the sinking of the Entente’s vessels, feeling sure that America will not make serious trouble if passengers of belligerents’ nationality are murdered on belligerents' merchantmen.