Show u Ut S S. S RECOGNIZES ONlY DE fACTO CONTROL CONnOl i. i i I OF BELGIUM Attempting to Continue Consular Service Under 1 I Military Control WASHINGTON Jan 25 The Thc The ed States has sent a formal note nato to Germany which without discussing the sovereignty M of Belgium expresses a willingness to such arrangements as may be necessary r with the German militar military authorities es in in do 10 facto control of Belgium territory for the continuance continuo ance of American consular service there The American note should have hac been delivered in Berlin by uy tolla today Althou Although h the tho first note from German Germany did not explicitly raise mise tho the issue o 0 of officials of the Washington government in makin making their reply carefully avoided a au arty any l expression could be construed construed con con- as ns a political recognition of Ger Get control of Belgium Tho rho decision of tho the United Slates States has b been cn awaited bv by Central and South American governments o who ho instructed instruct their di diplomatic representatives horo to toi i discuss is it in the Ian American union The note noto from tho the German foreign office or of orfice fice flee sent identically to all neutral ral got gov- announced that certificates of authority l- l of J. J 1 C S J had fid Recognizes zes Control Temporarily K No reference was made n de in e either cither t er tho the German note nor the AmeT American can reply to the status of the tho diplomatic officers ers American Minister Brand Bran D D. D Whitlock will wiH continue at Brussels where he ho is in active o charge of Belgium relief relio work wort In its reply the hc United States declares de elates clares that it considers iders a n consul not a 1 apolitical apolitical but commercial political n a representative tive tivo who derives permission to do dobus bus business nc s irrespective of hi Im his legal e 1 ri right from the authorities jn ju direct control contro of the district to which thih he is assigned In view ic of the German Gorman military occupation occupation pation the United States StateR further asserts as as' that it is is not inclined to question question ques ques- tion at nt t this s time the ri right ht of Germany to suspend Phraseology Is Careful The language e of the American note noto reveals rc that this government o considers tho originally issued by bv the thc Belgium government to to have havo been ens BUS pec ed and not expired as character characterized led in tho the American communication I This construction is in accord with similar Rim aim ilar phraseology use used by tho the Unit United States on previous occasions occasions While not question questioning n the German governments government's military occupation the I American note noto presumes t that at tho the consular con sular Bular office at Brussels at Antwerp and at Lie e are arp T agreeable ble to the i German authorities If the they are aro not the communication asks that the Wash Washington Washington Washington ington government b bo 00 promptly in in- in formed It does not state whether now new consuls would in that case bo ho designated to replace thom them |