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Show UNARMED SHIPS SAFE FROM ATTACK ARMED MERCHANTMEN SUBJECT TO DESTRUCTION BY GERMAN SUBMARINES IN FUTURE. Germany Declares Assurances Given in the Lusitania Agreement Regarding Re-garding Supbmarine Warfare Have Not Been Modified. Washington. Germany, in a formal note presented by Count von Bern-storff Bern-storff toSecretary Lansing on Monday, reiterates assurances regarding the future fu-ture conduct of submarine warfare given in the Lusitania case; declares those assurances have not been modified modi-fied by the memorandum setting fortn its intention to treat armed merchantmen merchant-men of the entente allies as auxiliary cruisers after midnight February 29; and attempts to justify the issuance of the memorandum by presenting evidence evi-dence and assertions designed to prove that the British government has instructed merchantmen to use their armament for purposes of attack in violation of assurances given to the United States. Later it was said at the state department de-partment that while the United States stood unalterably for the right of merchant mer-chant ships to carry guns for defense, it was not now and never had been contending that Americans could travel with immunity on ships having orders to act offensively. It was indicated in-dicated that, although Secretary Lansing Lans-ing was not prepared at this time to accept as conclusive the allegations of Germany in regard to the confidential instructions claimed to have been given to British sea captains, if the claims were sustained the fact would have an important bearing upon the future attitude of this government. |