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Show uu FLAG INCIDENT IS NOT CLOSED Washington. Feb 9. Drafts of notes to Great Britain and Germany, one relative to the use of the American Amer-ican flag by the British liner Lusi-tania, Lusi-tania, and the other concerning the attitude of the German nay toward neutral vessels in the newly pre scribed sea zones of war, were given personal consideration by President Wilson today after conferences with Secretary Bryan and other members of the cabinet. It is understood that no protest or what might be construed as a complaint com-plaint against any violation of international inter-national law Is to be directed to either I country The administration view of j the hoisting of the American flag on the Lusitania is that it is a customary custo-mary ruse of war, but at the same time representations were deemed advisable ad-visable to point out how easily neutral neu-tral commerce might suffer through continued practice of the stratagem. Information Asked. As for the German admiralty's proc la mat! on that It may be difficult to determine the character of a essel found in the war zones, especially because of the misuse of neutral flags, tho United States government Intends to ask for more information as to the methods by which the order will be carried out in practice, and 1b preparing to point out that It expects ex-pects every effort to be made to verify the nature of the ships flying neutral flags( assuming that due respect for the safety of Americana will be given. With the question of declaring certain cer-tain waters as in the zones of war on belligerent merchant ships, the American government is not concerned, Reports Vague. Neither communication will go forward, for-ward, it is understood until complete information Is aailable, which may cause a delay of several days. The long memorandum of the German foreign for-eign office, sent by wireless to the American press, has not reached the state department from Ambassador Gerard, and probably no action will be taken pending its arrival. Nor has Ambassador Page at London transmitted transmit-ted any official report as to the reasons rea-sons for the hoisting of the American flag on the Lusitania. He cabled the state department today the text of the British foreign office statement pub lished two dayB ago Justifying in general gen-eral terms the use by British vessels ves-sels of neutral flags to escape capture. cap-ture. He said the statement had not been formally communicated to him, but that on inquiry at the foreign office its authenticity was confirmed. In the absence of any official statement state-ment from Great Britain to the Unit-ed Unit-ed States on the case of the Lusitania. any Inquiry which may be made by this government on the subject of the use of neutral flags by British vessels probably will be based on the foreign office statement, and confined to the general question rather than any specific case. |