ARMED MERCHANTMEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2700, 21 February 1916, Page 5

ARMED MERCHANTMEN

AMERICAN POLICY REVERSED By TeleSraph—Press Association—Copyright.' : (Rec. February 20, 5.5 p.m.) ' Washington/February 18. The State Department" has notified ' all American diplomats that merchantmen have the right to carry-defensive armament. The United States thus reverses the;'.""., previous declaration of policy. RIGHTS OF AMERICANS r ::; SPEECH BY SENATOR LODGE Washington, February 18 Senator Lodge, speaking in the Senate,' denounced President' Wilson's af-' titude towards armed merchantmen, ' and declared that the United States was simply delivering itself into the hands of Austria and Germany. American citizens were within their rights in travelling in any ships, and if the Government abandoned those rights wliieh have been in existence for two centuries it would be untrue to its caste. . BREACH WITH AMERICA GERMAN SHIPPING MAGNATE'S VIEWS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services ) London, February 18. Tli "Bremen Tageblatt" publishes the statement that a shipping magnate 13 warning his countrymen' against a breach with America, pointing out that the United States can pour money and ' munitions into the scale on the side of the Allies, and seize German steamers. He adds: "Our plight would bo. terrible. Do not entertain any illusions regarding England. She will continue • the commercial war after the military ii ended, and capture German trade in South America and Australia. It will take years for German ships to get passengers and freights."