OCR Text |
Show LANSING SENDS STRONG NOTE 10 MT1TI Vigorous Protest Is Made Against Interference With and Censoring of Mails From This Country. CONTROVERSY WITH TEUTONS NEARS END Germany's Last Reply to the United States in the Frye Case Creates Favorable Favor-able Impression.. By International News Service. WASHINGTON, Jan. 8. Believing that the submarine controversy with the central powers is nearing an end, the Washington government is preparing to turn its attention to Great Britain. First evidence of this was seen today, when it was announced that the United States had sent a note to Great Britain vigorously protesting against interference interfer-ence with and censoring of mails between be-tween the United States and European countries. The next step, it was stated authoritatively, authori-tatively, will be the dispatch of a note directed to all the belligerents, but more particularly to Great Britain, protesting against what the United States regards as the illegal and unwarranted extension of contraband lists. A general attack upon the British blockade is expected to follow. Secretary Lansing has the contraband note before him for completion. com-pletion. Publication of Germany's last reply to the United States in the Frye case today, with the important concessions it made with reference to provisions for safety of passengers and crews of vessels ves-sels to be sunk, created a highly favorable favor-able impression. Officials Encouraged: Taken in connection with the assurances assur-ances given by the German government that its future Mediterranean submarine operations will be conducted in compliance compli-ance with the conditions set forth by the United States, it encouraged officials to the belief that Germany will go to the utmost limit in clearing up the latest submarine crisis, precipitated by the sinking of the Persia. Austria previously previous-ly had given these assurances. State department officials were unable to announce today what the next step in the submarine controversy will be. The Persia case first must be cleared up. Inability of American consular officers in taking affidavits of Persia survivors to obtain legal facts fixing responsibility responsibil-ity for the vessel's loss has placed the United States in a position where it must rely on Germany and Austria for this information. In its communication to the United States yesterday the German Ger-man government promised to conduct an official investigation of the Persia case. The Austrian government is conducting such an investigation. Policy Not Yet Settled. A high official of the state department depart-ment declared today that the state department de-partment will wait a reasonable time for Germany and Austria to obtain information infor-mation from submarine commanders in the Mediterranean before acting. What action will then be taken is a matter of policy yet to be determined. Tho assurances given by Germany in the communication submitted to Secretary Secre-tary Lansing by Count von Bernstorff yesterday and the concessions made in the Frye note, when taken together, 6how full fompliance with the demands of the United States respecting submarine subma-rine warfare. In the first communication assurances were given that: r GermRn submarines will not destroy passenger or freight merchant vessels in the Mediterranean unless they try to escape or offer resistauce, without first according 6afety to passengers and crews. Measure of Safety. In the Frye note Germany defined the measure of safety that would be accorded ac-corded in these terms: "The German government quite shares tho view of the United States. Persons found on board of a veseel may not be ordered into her lifeboats life-boats except when the general conditions, condi-tions, that is to say, the weather condition condi-tion of the sea and the neighborhood of (Continued on Page Four.) IISIIG PROTESTS TO GREAT BRITAIN :i j (Continued from Page One.) the coast, afford absolute certainty that the boat will reach the nearest port."' Rejection of the ingestion of the Lnil-! Lnil-! ed Stat cs that the two experts to l ix ; the amount of ind"mnity to be paid j'nr the Fry e s ' n k i ng rn-ot' in the " 'nil ed States and that an umpire be named to settle any dNp'il that may :ir;-e p.--. t ween the expert - is not e xpec t r d to raise pn if-i-ue. The t'niied State regards re-gards the Kr nen: j;tt ions a- fa nrablv .nn.-lu.ird. i That Pro-ridmt Wilson and ..;.-f .--t ;t ry i Lausin7 oon?i'ler tti fnbmHrine rjues-: rjues-: lion iua fair way to ohition was male jltuowri with tho anuonnement tliat the :::r?f of the protests tn the Hritih yuv-c"-nmPTit that courprniug inaii seizure -had alrt'.i'lv coin1 for--varl aii'I woul'l nvA'ic luii'ii''- early m-xt week. This note takes up tour puints, le-'.'uiidu le-'.'uiidu aii-t r -jij-ori nur "f mails tu the i n i t l1 I Siatts 'mm bell i rerour, countries, ' th'- 1'niteil States from ncutml enun- -it's, from the l.'nite.l States to bel-i'-Li'Tent f.njinri'. ami lro:n thn X." 11 i t vl t ; , t tn neutral counl i'ies. The Unite! !at'v tn t:;ke th' pn.-,iiion that r.ritir-h hl'n-kri.le un-les- vju.-h 1 lw v a;l ;r,r.rr v,-?, j 11 t i . i.; ill it-. -If il'.-al. air! thai, uin; ;tP.'-a'' of t 4 these mails e an not he justified on grounds of military necessity. The contraband note, whieh was jila-'-ed before Secretary Lansiug in the turn i of a bulky memorandum, outlining outlin-ing all the dei artu re( made by G real Britain and other belligerents from the contraband agreements tet forth Vty the declaration of London, is n waiting final drafting: at the hands of Secretary Lan-j sine. i "t-ire.-jt Britain is about to take the; center of the a liiuh oflicial nf the slaLe department id today. The l."n it "! Hate ma v be expected in take ueti n ire a ction ?oon upon the 1 ai'ioniul.tied pit.-is aiinst illeirnl j iJrit i.-b arts w hi- h lia r been idling up I in the state department during the I submarine negotiation?. ' ' |