estruction.

Great Britain always has, when a neutral, accorded to vessels of other
States at war the liberty to use the British flag as a means of
protection against capture, and instances are on record when United
States vessels availed themselves of this facility during the American
civil war. It would be contrary to fair expectation if now, when
conditions are reversed, the United States and neutral nations were to
grudge to British ships the liberty to take similar action.

The British Government have no intention of advising their merchant
shipping to use foreign flags as a general practice or to resort to them
otherwise than for escaping capture or destruction. The obligation upon
a belligerent warship to ascertain definitely for itself the nationality
and character of a merchant vessel before capturing it, and a fortiori
before sinking and destroying it, has been universally recognized.

If that obligation is fulfilled, the hoisting of a neutral flag on board
a British vessel cannot possibly endanger neutral shipping, and the
British Government holds that if loss to neutrals is caused by disregard
of this obligation it is upon the enemy vessel disregarding it and upon
the Government giving the orders that it should be disregarded that the
sole responsibility for injury to neutrals ought to rest.

ALLIES' DECLARATION OF REPRISALS.

_LONDON, March 1.--Following is the text of the statement read by
Premier Asquith in the House of Commons today and communicated at the
same time to the neutral powers in their capitals as an outline of the
Allies' policy of retaliation against Germany for her "war zone"
decree:_

Germany has declared the English Channel, the north and west coasts of
France, and the waters around the British Isles a war area, and has
officially given notice that all enemy ships found in that area will be
destroyed, and that neutral vessels may be exposed to danger.

This is, in effect, a claim to torpedo at sight, without regard to the
safety of the crew or passengers, any merchant vessel under any flag. As
it is not in the power of the German Admiralty to maintain any surface
craft in these waters, the attack can only be delivered by submarine
agency.

The law and customs of nations in regard to attacks on commerce have
always presumed that the first duty of the captor of a merchant vessel
is bringing it before a prize court, where it may be tried and where
regularities of the capture may b