Show CAN GAN BRITISH USE AMERICAN FLAG I Washington Asks Information Information tion on Lusitania Incident Incident Inci mci- dent Trouble May Follow Ambassador Page mado made a a. report to Washington on the uso use of ot tho tim American flag by the steamship Lusitania Mr P Pago go Iia has received no report from tho the British government govern govern- ment and bases his communication on oil tho thU stories of American passengers passengers gers geTs on the L Lusitania to members of 01 tho the staff of the tho American em cm- bassy As the Lusitania carried cabin passengers many of them prominent Americans who have a a. wide ride acquaintance in London the news of the flag incident spread rapidly in the hotels and dubs clubs until un un- un til Ui it ft has become Almost tho tim sole topic of conversation The British government stoutly maintains that t tho the captain of the Lusitania was not ordered by by- government government gov gov- emment officials official to use uso the flag WASHINGTON reb Teh S. S S. from Ambassador ra Pago o at t London on the tho hoi hoisting tin of the tho American flag on ot tho the er Lusitania while whilo crossing the tho Irish tea eca was Vias expected hero today toda and pending its arrival there were wera no official statements of how tho the American government t regarded ed the tho Incident It was stated however that while no report had been called for ono one w would bo be asked if tho the ambassador did not send id d. d ono t t t. t Jt n was also expected in official quarters that the British admiralty statement on the incident might como coma to tho the state department t later ater in tho form o of an official communication Naval officers recalled that tho the navy regulations permit a warship to fly another ilag than its own but specifically Epe ri provide pro it must bo be hauled down and the ship ships ship's 6 own flag must be bo hoi hoisted t l before a shot is fired There arc are many incidents in naval na history Y where that I has been doue done the latest being tho the German German Ger Ger- man n soa sea rover ro Emden which h hoisted the Japanese o flag just before making a daring raid at It t was ns recalled in naval circles hero here today that when Captain Glass commanding corn com om manding the cruiser Charleston on ou his way to tho Philippines with a con convoy of troops stopped and captured Guam he ordered the tho Japanese e flag to be ho flown on an hi his flagship and on tho ships bips of his 11 flotilla 0 IIo lIo signaled this message to tot t the tho o st steamers Australia and S Sydney Sydney Syd Syd- ney merchant ships chips under chart charter r of tho the government and in uso HB es troop troopships troopships troopships ships Use Is Justified Passing signal station at Guam Charleston will ill hoist Japanese colors other Ye vessels els same or none I I All tho the authorities of international law laro and the manual in use uso at the naval ns war college justify tho u use e of other flags Bags on warships Tho The navy war college manual says The regulations of the United States navy tato that the tho uso use o or ora a l foreign flag to deceive an enemy is permissible but that it must bo be hauled down before a gun JUn is fired and aDd under no circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances is an action to bo be commenced or a battle battlo fought without tho the display of the national ensi ensign n. n nJ J The records of international law lat I however contain few fow instances in which the use of ot a foreign flag on a merchantman merchant merchant- I man has baa como come into a question Ono One in instance in- in stance though not in time timo of of war camo carno up Jurin during tho the term of Secretary Sherman in the state department in which which the London board of at trado intervened inter inter- to stop improper display of a n United States lla flag Shermans Sherman's Opinion These Theo aro Secretary Shermans Sherman's words I A A lino of steamers plying between England and the United Unite states States under the tho British flag has for some seam years past used tho the United Bt States tc union jack as 85 asit it its ih 6 flag Upon inquiry LeiD being made mado o ob b by the ambassador Or in London tho the British Brit ish Aboard board of or trade trado intervened d in virtue of its ts authority in matters o. o of shipping and aud navigation tion an and I am just informed that the line in question has been constrained constrained con con- strained to adopt another distinctive house flag t In May l 1003 1001 OJ tim tho American minister I to Brazil Drazil brought to the noti notice o of the Brazilian government tho the fact that a Brazilian line lino of ot sailing vessels was using a hou house o flag ng resembling ono one of tho the forms of the national ensign of tho the United States Tho The complaint was Wag referred re reo re- re ferrod to the tho navy department of Brazil Bra Dra zil all an and tho the American minister was wats subsequently subsequently subsequently sub sub- informed that the Brazilian firm o owning the vessels in qu question stion had ordered another flag flaK to be substituted for that which had been in use Chairman Stone Steno of tho senate foreign j I relations com committee mitt eo a n White House caller today said that in iu his Me opinion n tho the flying of the American flag by tho the Lusitania Lusitania Lu Lu- I W was wag S an improper use of the I flag Senator Stone added that it would bo be possible for congress to adopt I I a n resolution n protesting against tho the in I but that ho he thought it a matter I Io Ito Iw w to o be handled entirely by y tho the ex executive j I jr r t |