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Show FIRE ON U-BOATS ON SIGHT IS PLAN PREPARATIONS ARE BEGUN FOR MOUNTING GUNS ON AMERICAN AMER-ICAN SHIPS. State Department Holds Germany's Instructions to Submarines Justify Jus-tify Merchantmen in Taking Protective Measures. Washington. The American government gov-ernment on March 10 began the actual act-ual preparations to arm American merchantmen against Germany's ruthless ruth-less submarine warfare. When the vessels sail under the policy of armed neutrality they will do so with the full backing of the administrationexpressed ad-ministrationexpressed in the form of war risk insurance and naval guns and gunners. It was made clear that in the background back-ground will he the entire resources of the United States ready for action ac-tion should Germany attack an American Amer-ican ship in violation of the warning of the American government. The state department's view of defensive de-fensive armament as expressed was that the mere appearance of a German Ger-man submarine or its periscope near an American-armed vessel would entitle en-title the vessel to take all measures o 4 1; wnoiimnHnn thnt Ol piUCeULlUU KJU. me yi'Jiir"'" the submarine's purpose was hostile. This was based on Germany's announcement an-nouncement that her submarines would attack without warning any belligerent or neutral merchantmen encountered within the barred zone. Whether this positon will be embodied em-bodied in instructions to commanders of American-armed ships and whether wheth-er arms and ammuniton will be furnished fur-nished to vessels carrying contraband were up for discussion, but no announcement an-nouncement on either point was authorized. au-thorized. The attitude of President Wilson has been that no steps of a belligerent belliger-ent character should be taken and that if a state of war comes it must be through Germany's commission of acts in clear violation of international law. Some officials close to the president are known to feel that in line witn mis puncy me uuilcu States should not sanction a shoot-on-sight program which might be construed con-strued as aggression. |