Salt Lake Tribune | 1915-02-26 | Page 7 | Notes Sent to Belligerents to the Point

NOTES SENTTQ BELLIGERENTS TO TOE POUT Both Great Britain and Ger- many Asked to Withdraw I Their Mines From the t Open Seas. (6p:!il Cable by Arrangement W1f.li Londnn Dallr TelarraDh and International News Service. WASHINGTON, Feb. 25. From an j authoritative source tho International News Service learned tonight the pro-I pro-I posals which the United States made to j Great Britain and to Germany in the I notes which were prepared after the meeting of the cabinet on Friday last , and immediately dispatched to Embassador Embas-sador Pagu at London and Embassador Gerard at Berlin. I Both Great Britain and Germany are asked definitely "to withdraw 'their mines from the open Beas. " ', Great Britain has been asked to per mife the importation of foodstuffs into Germany for non-combatants under the supervision of agents of the United States. Germany has been asked to cease attacks at-tacks on merchant vessels by submarines. sub-marines. ' The two notes are said to not exceed 00 words each in length. In asking the two belligerent nations to etop the practice of sowing mines in the open seas along the lines of established trade routes, the United States declares tho conduct is a flagrant violation of the international laws, ft is declared to be grossly in violation of the inherent and sacred rights of neutrals. neu-trals. ' Goes to Root of Matter. The request that submarines cease their attacks on merchant vessels goes to the root of the question affecting the commerce of the United States passing pass-ing through the English channel for German, Dutch and Scandinavian jjorts. In the opinion of the International ?ewB Service, the United States has nicely balanced its proposals to the two countries. Each is asked to make a concession which the United States regards re-gards as equal in importance. It was unqualifiedly asserted today "by state department officials that the United States had not indicated to Great Britain or to Germany what this country coun-try will do if either or both of the belligerents shall reject the propositions of the American notes. The report that the proposal might be rejected by England led to a discussion as to the rejection creating a new crisis. It was said that -Counsellor Lansing spoke advisedly last night in NVw York whfn he referred to the existing ex-isting conditions as critical. Secretary Bryan avoided aur expression expres-sion of opinion as to the result of a disagreement dis-agreement or rejection of the plan or tiie administration. The nearest he wuuld come to ad mitring that tbpre were any ures at all was that ''The matter was under consideration.'7 He, however, declared thar there were no communications from Embassador Page or Embassador Gerard "on tho matter." mat-ter." Secretary Bryan stated very definitely definite-ly that there had not been auy discussion discus-sion of an "embargo.'" This statement wa-; confirmed by several other cabinet officers. The embargo proposition having been apparently discounted absolutely by the ; state, department, other suggestions J were discussed such as "uon-inter-i course, " "voluntary avoidance of the zones of danger by American vessels." etc., but none of thee had any official indorsement. The hint was thrown out that even if a solution of the present difficulty as to the neutral commerce of the world was not effected by the notes, the United Unit-ed States would not abandon its efforts , in that direction. It was said that per-: per-: haps either England or Germany in her , reply might suggest a new line for the ; good offices of the president and his i cabinet.