OCR Text |
Show ENGLAND ANSWERS BRIAITSPROTEST DENIES THAT BUSINESS DEPRESSION DEPRES-SION IS DUE TO ACTIVITY OF THE BRITISH FLEET. Announces That Retaliatory Measures Will be Taken Against the Germans, Ger-mans, But Does Not Reveal Their Nature. Washington. Great Britain's second and complete reply to the American note of protest, which on December 28 last asked for an early improvement in the treatment of American commerce com-merce by the British fleet, was made public Wednesday night by mutual agreement between the state department depart-ment and the British foreign office. The note, addressed to Ambassador Page by Sir Edward Grey under date of February 10, denies that the depression de-pression in American industries is due to the activity of the British fleet, and sugests, among other causes, the shortage of shipping facilities, the consequent diminution of cotton trade and the destruction by submarine mines "laid by the enemy indiscriminately" indiscrimi-nately" of many neutral vessels. After giving a lengthy and detailed answer to the charge that American ships and cargoes were being unduly detained, the communication contains in its concluding paragraph the announcement an-nouncement that Great Britain intends to take retaliatory measures against the German submarine campaign against enemy ships, but does not reveal re-veal their nature. |