Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-26
IN VIOLATION OF NEUTRALITY

The project of organizing Il Greek regi-
ment in the United States, if under
taken, would be promptly stopped by the
authorities at Washington as in viola
ton of the neutrality laws There is
II wide distinction. recognized not only
in international law, but by our own
statutes, between permitting military
| expeditions TO leave our ports to engage
in hoStilities against country with
which we are at peace, and permitting
shipments of arms and military sup
plies in time of war. the risk of which
the shippers necessarily take upon them
selves. Military expeditions, as well as
the enlistment or recruiting of men to
serve against Il country with which we
are at peace, are strictly forbidden by
federal statute, under heavy penalties
of fine and Imprisonment.
Any attempt, therefore, to organize
| Greeks in this country for the purpose
of joining in the war against Turkey
would subject the promoters to arrest
and punishment and it is needless to
say that the government would proceed
against them as the law directs. OF
course this applies only to organized
bodies of men and rot to the move
mcnts of individuals although with the
avowed purpose of entering the Greek
army. 1t is IL principle of international
law that Il neutral state must not per-
nit the organization of troops or the
fitting out of any military expedition in
favor of belligerent party within it's
borders, but it cannot be charged with
violating its neutrality in case some of
its members. without its authority Join
the belligerent forces as soldiers or 9th
erwise.
A Washington dispatch says that arms
and munitions Of war may be sold to
either side, they taking the risk of get
ting them to their destination. The
right of our people to sell arms and
munitions of war to belligerents was
declared at the beginning of the govern
ment. In 1893, when England and
France were at war, Thomas Jefferson,
then secretary of state, in IL note to the
ministers of those countries said: "Our
citizens have always been free to make,
vend and export arms" In the same
year Alexander Hamilton, who was sec
retary of the treasury, said in a cir
cular letter to customs officials: "The
purchasing within and exporting from
the United States. by way of merchan-
disc, articles commonly called contra
band, being generally warlike nstru-
ment5 and military stores, is free to all
the parties at war and is not to be in
terfered with" This principle was re-
affirmed during the Crmean war, in
1854, and during the FrancO-Prussian
war our government sold large Quanti-
ties of unused arms to the French gov
eminent. \ question was raised aS to
whether this did not involve Il viola
ton of neutrality on the part of the
United States toward Germany and
committee of the senate reported after
not violation of the obligations of neu-
trality.
Greeks may freely, as individuals re-
turn to their native land from the United
States. even when avowing their inten-
ton to enter the war. They may also
buy here and have shipped to Greece
arms and ammunition, without violating
our neutrality laws. But they will con
travene those laws If they undertake
to recruit and organize men here to
serve in the Greco-Turkish war.