Show GERMANS PLEASED BY POLICY PROSPECT Intimation Given Out That United States Stales Ma May Warn Citizens Not to Travel on Armed l Merchant hant Boats CONCESSIONS MADE Cr Crews ws Considered Prisoners Prison Prison- ers of f War i in in Event of Capt Capture re Are Entitled to Rig Rights ts Upon n Surre Surrender der BERLIN via yia London Fe Feb 12 The The Berlin newspapers publish dispatches from the United States announcing that it is is expected that hat the Washington Uon on will soon soon issue a warning to AmerIcans Americans Amer Amer- leans not to to travel on merchantmen which are armed The newspapers say that this announcement comes omes at a timely moment to confirm the hopes n Germany that th the new policy enunciated in the German memorandum memorandum mem mem- wl which jcl declares that armed merchantmen wi will 1 be e treated by Germany Germany Ger Ger- many after February 29 as warships would would be to conform to the revised revised revised re re- re- re ideas of the American department department depart depart department ment of of df st state stale fe feon on th the conduct 0 ot of submarine submarine sub sub- m marine rine warfare wa and hence and hence ce tend to sim simplifying g in ln the ft future tu e tl the e situation between between between be be- tween Germany a and ci America on this Issue su Considered Pirates Pirates' S as as' i. i t t ag agree i f t J 1 I W orro tit r refer ter to the policy announced announce announced in theme the me memorandum as t new ew since Germany eVen ven ven before the war war officially y had taken taken tak- tak en the position that ships armed In accordance accordance ac ac- ac- ac cordan e with Mr Churchill's plan lose entirely their p peaceful noncombatant noncom- noncom privileges leges and that their crews should be treated not even as belligerents belligerents bellig bellig- I but hut as pirates They say that an amendment was incorporated in inGerman inGerman inGerman German prize regulations on June 22 1914 before the war broke out which provided that every hostile act of armed merchantmen was to be regarded Tea re as piracy and that the crews sh uld be dealt with according to the regulations covering extraordinary military la and procedure The newspapers point that the memorandum memorandum memorandum dum does not go to extremes but allows allows al al- a- a lows armed merchantmen the privilege privilege lege of warships that is the crews if I captured are to be treated as prisoners prisoners pris pris- olL ot war and the ships although liable to be ba attacked and sunk without without with with- without out warning arc are entitled to certain rights of surrender All German warships warships warships war war- ships and not submarines only are according to the memorandum to apply apply apply ap ap- ap- ap ply these rules and therefore they argue argue ar ar- ar gue the memorandum is not exactly a new new development of submarine war war- fu fare The German press is unanimous in expressing commendation |