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Show GREAT BRITAIN REPLIES TO THE U. S. PROTEST Claims American Flag Was Hoisted on Lusitania to Save Lives of Passengers Passen-gers and Crew. ACTION JUSTIFIED BY GERMAN THREAT Attention Called to the Fact That Use of British Flag by Foreign Vessels Is Permitted. LONDON, Feb. 19, 7:32 p, m The British foreign office issued a note tonight to-night in reply to the representations of the United States government concerning concern-ing the use of the American flag by British vessels. TllG note rhvr t)yn Piinnnl ilnr tamfir Lusitania, -on her recent voyage from New York to Liverpool, fiew the American Amer-ican flag "to save the lives of noncom-batanta, noncom-batanta, crew and passengers." It adds that, in spite of the fact that American passengers embarking on the Lusitania on her outward voyage for New York asked that the American fiag be hoisted, "the British government did not give any advice to the company as how to meet this request and, it ia understood, tho Lusitania left Liverpool under the British flag." As to discussing the Lusitania incident, inci-dent, the memorandum makes this statement: state-ment: The British government have no intention of advising their merchant shipping to use foreign flags aa a , general practice, or to resort to them otherwi.se than for escaping capture or destruction. Question of Responsibility. In conclusion the (statement says: The obligation upon a belligerent warship to ascertain definitely for Itself It-self the nationality and character of a merchant vessel beforo capturing ft and afortiori (stronger reason )be-fore )be-fore sinking and destroying it lias been universally recognized. If that obligation is fulfilled, the hoisting of a neutral flag on board a British vessel cannot possibly endanger neutral neu-tral shipping 'and the British government gov-ernment holds that if loss to neutrals is caused by disregarding this obligation, ob-ligation, It is upon the enemy vessel disregarding and upon the government govern-ment giving orders that it should be disregarded, that the full rsnonsihil- ity for injury to -neutrals ought to rest. Text of Reply. The following is the text of the reply of Great Britain to the American note as handed to Walter Hines Pagy, the American embassador, today: The memorandum communicated on the 11th day of February calls attention at-tention Jn courteous and friendly terms to the action of the captain of the British steamship Lusitania in raising the flag of the United States , of America when approaching British Brit-ish waters and says that the govern-, govern-, mcnt of the United States feel certain cer-tain anxiety in considering the possibility pos-sibility of any general use of the flag of the United States by British vessels ves-sels traversing those waters, since the effect of such a policy might be to bring about a menace to the lives and vessels of United Slates citizens. It was understood that the' German government announced tlvir Intention Inten-tion of sinking British merchant vessels ves-sels at sight by torpedoes, without giving any opportunity or making provision for the saving of lives of noncombatant crews and passengers. It was in consequence of this threat States flag on her inward voyage. Request of Passengers. On her subsequent outward voyage, a request was made by United States passengers, who were embarking on board her, that the United States flag should be hoisted, presumably to insure in-sure their safety. Meanwhile the memorandum from your excellency had been received. Hie majesty's government gov-ernment did not give any advice to the company as to how to' meet tills request, and it understood that the Lusitania left Liverpool under tho British flag. It seems unnecessary to say more as regards the Lusitania In particular. par-ticular. In regard to the use of foreign flags by merchant vessels, the British merchant mer-chant shipping act makes it clear that the use of the British flag by foreign merchant vessels Is permitted in time of war for the purpose of escaping capture. It is believed in the ase of other nations there Is similar recognition recog-nition of the same practices with regard re-gard to their flags, and that none of them has forbidden it. Declines to Forbid Use. It would, therefore, be unreasonable unreason-able to expect lils majesty's government govern-ment to pass legislation forbidding the use of foreign flags by British merchant mer-chant vessels to avoid capture bv the enemy, now that the German government govern-ment has announced its intention to sink merchant vessels at sight with their noncombatant crews, cargoes and papers, a proceeding hitherto regarded re-garded by the opinion of the world not as war, but piracy. H is felt that the United States government could not fairly ask the British government to order British merchant vessels to forego u means always hitherto per-mil per-mil ted of escaping not only capture, but the much worse fate of Kinking and destruction. Great Britain has always, when a neutral, accorded to vessels of other slates at war the liberty to use the t (Continued on Page Two.) mm replies TP 0. S. PROTEST (Continued from Papo One.) Mr it hdi flmr as a tneanw of trotec-tlon trotec-tlon it;a Inst captum mid Instances. Hie on re. ord when l'nited St-xti ves-neb ves-neb availed themselves t,r tnls facility at the lime of the A mtrlcaii -h II war. It would b contrmy to fulrtirss to ninke mi excepdnn If ikvv. when cnridltlons nro teversed. the Ptdled St a ten n nd neul ral nat loim worn to Krudtfe to IlrlliHh shlpa the liberty to lake similar Hctlon. Responsibility on Germans. The prltlsh ftovernnient bus no In-tenllon In-tenllon of Hdvlsiiur Hh mer-luint shlp-plm shlp-plm to use the foreipn fliiK s a metiers I practice or to resori lo them otlierwlse than for eHcadiuT capture cap-ture or deM ruction. The obi la t ions upon a lielllcerent warship to ancei-liilu ancei-liilu definitely Tor Itself lh" mil Inn-iillty Inn-iillty mill eliinncter of a merchant veKj-iel before C(litlllltUT It Mi(l ftfof-tiorl ftfof-tiorl bei'orn wlnklm: mid deHlro-lnpr It lin H been l ) u I V e rn:i 1 1 V reoKnl'nd . 1 t Hint, id-llt'ittlon la fiilfllle.l the inlsln nf a li''ili;i M;iu mi board H. Prltlsh vc'-e I can not r "-nUI V endanger Tieq -tral iddppltur. mirt the Ijritiidi" K'vrn- IIK'lll h'llll'.'. thill if lofWl tO lielitl'lllH ill CHiiMtl by di;ie(;.ild of Ihlu 'dill l:n I Ion It Is upon the cni'iiiy vi'Mmi-I dbueKard-i dbueKard-i 1 1 ir I ! and upon I he i;n ve i n iiirnl 1 v- Iril- Hie olers tlu.l It Should be ills- r.':ni'l(d thai tlx- ho Ir. responsibility fol Injill y to neutiHlit ,,unht lo eHt,' |