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Show GERMANS NOT TO j RESPECT FLAGS Berlin (wireless to London). Feb 17. The German consul at Rotterdam has handed the Rotterdam Chamber of Commerce a memorandum from the imperial chancellor warning Dutch merchant ships that they run the greatest danger if they appear in the war zone after midnight tonight and declaring that even painting the national na-tional colors of neutrals of the ship against attacks by German submarines subma-rines The memorandum states that British Brit-ish merchant ships are probably arm ed, that they had been told to sail In groups, that they have instructions to ram submarines and to overpower investigating parties sent on board from German boats to determine their nationality, and that the British government gov-ernment has further ordered the misuse mis-use by them of neutral flags and the painting of British steamers in the national colors of neutral 6hips "The investigation of merchant ships, including neutrals, is therefore impossible without seriously endan gering German submarines" the mem orandum says "Furthermore, Germany Ger-many intends to lay mines on a larger lar-ger scale in all parts of the war zone. Merchant ships, therefore, run the greatest, risk except in steaming along the north coast of Scotland as recommended recom-mended by the German admiralty." The memorandum adds that the German proclamation of a war zone will continue in force "until the Brit ish government, spontaneously or induced in-duced by neutrals, declares its readi ness to observe these rules established estab-lished by the Paris and London declarations dec-larations " |