The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-22
WILL UNCLE SAM
SUBMIT TO THIS
Shall the United States Recognize the
Cretan Blockade.
AGAINST THE LAWS OF NATIONS
The Powers Forbid ANY Nation to
Send Merchandise Into Il Couutrv
with Which Nobody Is at War--Brit-
ish Lawyers say This Act Is High
Handed and Not Legally Dcfcnsible.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
London, March 2O-Why should not
the government of the United states
refuse to recognize the blockade of
Crete? The terms of the official notice
of the blockade which We're issued by
the British government in London to-
day, are a direct violation of the law
of nations The notice says.
ships of the six powers or neutral
powers may enter into the ports occu-
pied by the powers and land their
merchandise, but only If 1t is not for
the Greek troops or the interior of the
island These ships may be visited
by the ships of the International
fleets"
If any ship or officer of the blockad-
ing fleet undertakes to enforce these
regulations against a vessel carrying
the American flag. 1t will be an act Of
war against the United States. Their"
can be little doubt about the correct
ness of this view. Sir Walter Philli-
more, who is a strong authority upon
international law. thus puts the case Of
the rights even of British citizens:
zone would wish to know whether
the government has consulted its legal
advisers as to certain eventualitieS
which are not unlikely to follow upon
this so-called blockade of Crete. sup
posing that a British ship, seeing a
chance of doing Il good trade in proNl-
siOns, sails for a port in Crete. She
will be perfectly within her legal
rights, and it will be Illegal to stop
her We are not at war with Crete
or Greece. So it will not be a case
of trading with an enemy, and moth
ing short of an act of parliament can
take away the right of any British
subject to go to or trade with Crete.
Suppose this ship is stopped and turn
ed back. There will be an irresistible
claim for damages at the suit of the
sufferers against the captain of the
British man-of-war. suppose she is
fired at and sunk. The damages will
be greater. suppose one of her crew
is drowned. ! see no defence to an
Indictment for murder.
The rights Of an American vessel
would, of course, be far stronger.
Secretary Sherman will receive to-
| day, from Sir Julian Pauncefote, OF
through the American embassy here, q
| formal notice of the blockade from
| Lord Salisbury. Every American in
/ London is anxious to know what his
answer will be. 1t is not only a splen-
! did opportunity to make use of the
tremendous moral influence which q
| declaration of the American view OF
the Eastern policy of the great powers
will carry, but it Is of genuine practica
! importance as well.
1t is the avowed purpose of the sin
| powers to starve out the Greek troops
| in Crete. No account is made of the
! incidental starvation of the native
| population. There is food enough now
| in the interior of the island to last fol
several weeks. 1t is entirely within
the rights of the people of New York
for instance, to send a cargo of sup
plies to the beleaguered inhabitants
Is the administration at Washington
ready to enforce that right?