The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-27

tce is a prize, save in certain cases COW
cred by neutrality
Vessels in bIockaded ports viii be al
lowed thirty days to leave after the b. ocN-
AIDE is declared. Vessels resisting visits or
presenting fraudulent papers or attempting
! TO escape should be seized
With the termination of a voyage a
blockade runners danger ends, but she
is liable to capture at any time before she
! reaches her home port IL she has escaped
from a blockaded port
The crews of blockade runners are not
! enemies nor prisoners nor should they be
! treated with such consideration. They may
| be detained, however. as witnesses Defoi q
a prize court Blockade running subjects
the vessel to seizure without regard to
the nature OF her cargo
| Under the head of right OF search 1t Is
said that this right may be exercised with
/ out previous notice on all vessels, but
| should be exercised with tact and con-
! sideratons Full directions are given as
to how this may he accomplished.
| blank shot is to be fred aud a sma |
boat Is to be sent aboard the neutral with
an officer to conduct the search. Thera
may be arms in the boat. hut the men
should not wear them on their persons.
! II the papers show that the vessel Is
neutral and trading betwg en- neutral ports
7 the examination goes no further II boun I
:
{ pers must be examined for coutrahapd
and If none Is found she must be set free
! except under strong suspicion requiring
/ further search.
| Neutral vessels carrying hostile dis
patches when sailing as dispatch yesse. s
| in the service OF the enemy are liable
to seizure, but not when she ~ a mali
! packet and carries them in the regular
and customary manner without special ar
| roDgement
| The voyage Of mail steamers are not to
| be interfered with except on the clelrest
ground Of suspicion A neutral vessel in the
service Of the enemy Transporting troops
is liable to seizure Merchant vessels Of
the enemy are a good prize and NAV b,
seized anywhere except In neutral waters
neutral flag covers cnemy's goods with
the exception of contraband OF war.
The most important paragraph in the or
Ter IS that which defines eontrahand of
war, subject concerning which the mari
time nations of the world are widely at
variance. 1t evidently has been the prln-
ciple of our government, recognizing the
fact that we are not always 10 continue at
war, TO reduce to The smallest limits the
list OF contraband goods lest We suffer In
turn as neutral
The section reads. THE term contraband
OF war comprehends only articles having a
bsligerent destination as to an enemy 8
following articles are. for the present, TO
be treated as contraband:
Absolutely contraband: Ordnance, ma
chine guns and their appliances and the
parts thereof; armor plates and whatever
pertains TO the offensive and offensive ar
mament OF naval vessels; arms and instru-
ments OF iron, Steel brass or copper or
any other material such as arms and in
strumenta being especially adapted for use
in war, by land or sea; torDedOes and their
appurtenances; cases for mines. of what
ever material. engineering, and transport
materials. such as gun carriages. caissons
cartridge boxes, campaigning forges cam
teens, pontoons ordnance stores, portab,e
range finders, signal flags designated for
naval use, ammunition and explosives Of
all kinds. machinery for the manufa sture
OF arms and munitions Of war. saltpeter,
military aceoutremsnts and equipments of
all sorts and horses.
Conditional contraband: Coal, when des-
tined for a naval station port OF call or
a ship or ships OF the enemy; materials for
the construction Of railways or telegraphs
and money when such materials or money
are destined for an onemy's ship or ships,
or for A place that is besiegoi."
Under the head OF prizes it is said that
imminent DANCE Of recapture would Justify
the destruction Of tho ship IL there was no
doubt that she was good prize. They Will
also be destroyed II they can not be sold II
noteworthy or infected with disease or
lacking a prize crew.
Amy person who removes anything I'M
necessarily from a prize IL made subject 10
court martial and punishment and the came
penalty IS provided II any person In the
navy mnltreats or strips the clothing from
a person on a prize The order viii be
rent out Immediately to all naval officers
on the blockadiDg station.