The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-06-20
Our Neutral Duties.

The activity OF Russian agents in this
country has naturally caused eonsidera-
bic excitement IN England. On May p
Mr. Gourley, liberal member of the
house of commons, propounded in that
body an inquiry az to what information
the British government bad received rel
alive 10 the reported Quitting of Russian
cruisers in American waters. Sir John
Holker, attorney-general, in reply, said
that he chad heard of the ships pur-
chased by persons said to act on behalf
of Russia, but there Is no reason to sup
pssa that the ships will be employed, in
the event of war, as privateers, in contra
vention of the Paris declaration. There
is no reason to believe that the United
States will depart from Observance OF the
three rules of the Washington treaty.
There is no necessity for discussing the
responsibility resting on the government
of Russia and the United States, since
there is no reason to suppose that they
would violate their respective engage
Hents."
Two unarmed Russian war vessels,
from Cronstadt, passed clandestinely
through the sound into the Cattegat
during the night of May 20. It was
supposed that their destination was this
country The Pal Mall Gazette's Berlin
special correspondent says that a
great many pretended Russian emigrants
are passing through Germany. 1t is
believed that they are Eeamen, disguised,
on their way to America to man cruisers
"a surmise which may or may not be
correct.
The Pail Mall Gazette attempts to
limit the force of the treaty rules by
saying that they define the duties of a
neutral state, but that state is not
neutral until war actually begins. The
neutrality law, however, is unmistaksble,
and it is clear that if the government has
reasonable ground to believe that any
ship is being fitted out, armed, or equip
ped in any port of the country for the
purpose of cruising against power with
which we are at peace, it is bound to pre-
vent its escape. The government, of
course, must be the judge of such grounds,
subject to future reclamations. The
purchase of vessels, however, is not such
ground. During the late Russian and
| Turkish war, Turkey bought arms in the
United States and ships in Englsnd with
out complaint from Russia, and if BUS
sian agents are now buying vessels in this
country, tits no violation of our laws. But
if beIligerent power may lawfully buy
ships and arms within our jurisdiction,
and neither the ships nor the arms can
be detained separately, it is evident that
all that Is necessary for the evasion OF
the law Ia to get them out separately,
and then to put the arms upon the ship
on the open sea.
Fortunately there can be no doubt
that the neutral duties of the United
States, in case of war between Russia
and Great Britain, will be most honor
ably preserved, and that the Jaw of 1915
and the rules of the treaty will be care
fully and impartially enforced. 1t is
however, obvious that, considering the
enormous extent of our coast and the
relations of national and state authority
we have undertaken by the three rules
Of the treaty a very difficult task, and il
is a fair question whether, as the Pei
Mall Gazette says, the word neutral
in the treaty has not given Russia, in
the present case, a great advantage
Harper's Weekly.