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Show CONSULS FROM THIS COUNTRY HOTJESIREQ Germany Informs U S Its Representatives in Belgium Bel-gium Must Be Acceptable Accept-able to Military. SECRETARY BRYAN DECLINES TO TALK May Comply With Demand by Withdrawing the Consuls, Con-suls, Belgian Minister Issues Statement SHIQTON Dec tS The Ge man government las formally no fled the American state department that Amer lean consuls Belrluni must be ar ceptable to the O n an mllltarv a thori ties and that la desirable hat some of the consuls be will drawn for he pres ent at least. Secretan rrran declined to mak P b Uo the lent of t e oerman com nun ca lion or to corrnent on it un le had had full opport n t to co slder UTS understanding in official rc ee s at the notice Is s m ar otcot.net Argentina ai 1 othe neutral ount es It fc sold tlat wl He the German gov ernnent does not Insist that -onauls o Belgium take out i ew exequalu s f om German officers I announces ttu su h consuls n ust exe lc the r t ons only by permiss on from the nil a n control of tte terrltor In wblcl the con sulates are sllua ed Engaged in Keiict orK The Lnlted Slates has onsula rcpre sonUtl ea In Brussel-. ntwe p Liege and Ghent, b n e e war beaaj, the) have bad HUle work -t tW oNHaary character their aetirttlea having been devoted largely to looking after refugees and aiding In relief work. The request for the withdrawal cf certain cer-tain consuls Is said to be entirely lm personal and to be based on th law of military necessity which recognizes the right of a military officer ln command of occupied territory to dictate absolutely the amount and extent of dvtl business and the manner in which it shall be con ducted in that territory Statement Issued Mr Havenlth, the Belgian minister called at he sUte department toda after the German notice had been re celved. Later he Issued this statement The Belgian minister has been in formed that the German government has notified the neutral powers of its intention to cancel the exequaturs ac corded by the Belgian government to foreign consular representatives The Belgian government has protested pro-tested against this step Th Issue, as well as the cancellation o n ex equator are acts which lr p y the sovereigut of the elate from which they ema ate Now a power in m 11 tary occupation of territory only en Joys a de facto possess on Men can not be transforn ed so far as Its relations re-lations with neutral states are con cerned Into a state of sovereignty feuch a change could only become law ful by the consummation of a treaty of peace determining def n tely the status of the occupied territory Probable Outcome The dlspoelt on of the department. It is said is to recognize the r ght of the au thorites of captured territory to pre scribe at least e nporary cond Hons under which consuls sha discharge their duties and It Is contended th s can be done with out in any vay com nlttlng the Unl ed S ates to a pol tical recognl Ion of toe right of the ml tar occupant of a ter -ltr.rir tn ItR OOSSCSSlOn riegard ng the withdrawal of consuls fron certa po nts under co er of m U tary neceos ty It Is sa d that there need be no actual interrupt on of commerce in consequence because under Ame lean consular regulations In the absence of a consul two reputab e merchants may ren der an acceptab o cert f cate to an In voice of goods Japanese Precedent The Japanese government already has Intimated Its objec ion to the presence of fore gn consu s in the territo y of K ao chow recen j captu ed from the Ger mans. In t at case there s no question or who sha Issue exequaturs The ob Jectlon lies to the presence of apy for elgn consu s no matter what may be their legal status Several app cations have con e to the state department from mercantl e interests urging the eturn of American Consul Peck to Ts ngtau but tn the face of Japanese oppos on and ln the knowledge of he fact that the order of exc us on runs against consu s of aU nations a ke. the 6 a e department has not f e t ca ed upon o forco an Issue by ordering the return of Mr Peck to his post |