The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1898-06-18
WHAT A BLOCKADE IS.
The Penalty for Running Bloc1asS
In TimO of War Is
Heavy One.

The southern ports felt the incon-
venienee of effective blockade during
the civil war, and it is possible, in the
event of war with Spain, that an at
tempt will be made to blockade impor-
tant seaports of the United States. Dis
lance from her base of operations will,
however, make it extremely difficult, IL
not impossible, for Spain to maintain
what is known in international law
as an effective" blockade. Unlessit be
effective in the legal international
sense, neutral commerce is not bound
to respect it. Once established block
AIDE can be terminated only in two ways
by voluntary REIMBURSEMENT by the
belligerent that tried to establish it, or
by the raising of the blockade by the
enemy. Neutral vessels are subject to
search by either "belligerent' for con
traband of war;" for articles manufac-
tured and primarily or ordinarily used
for military purposes in time of war,
and destined for the use of the hostile
nation in war. Contraband articles are
subject to capture on the high seas il
thus destined for the use of the enemy
in his military preparations; but by an
effective" blockade a belligerent may
not only prohibit the entry of contra
band" but of all articles of commerce
found in any vessel, neutral or other
wise. The penalty for running block
ade is forfeiture of the vessel and its
cargo.
1t is not necessary that an effective"
blockade should be maintained along
the entire coast of an enemy's country
TO give belligerent the right of seizure.
The belligerent may designate one or
more ports against which blockade is to
be maintained Probably the best
definition of an effective" blockade is
that contained in the declaration OF
Paris, to which all the civilized nations
formally assented, except Spain and the
United States. The fourth article of
the declaration says that bloekades, in
order to be binding. must be effective;
that is to say, maintained by force
sufficient really to prevent access to the
coast of an enemy. The United States,
Notwithstanding her failure to assent
to all the principles enuneiated in the
declaration of Paris, has accepted the
definition. One of the American au-
thorities upon international law says
that the belligerent who declares a
blockade nEsi place Sufficient" force
at the blockade points to make him
master of them. The same authority
holds that force sufficient to make the
passage to or from the closed port "ex-
tremely dangerous" is all that is neces-
sary. The mere attempt to run such
blockade subjects the vessel and cargo
to the penalty of seizure and condemna-
ton.
The authorities have much to say re-
garding the necessity of giving notice
to neutrals that blockade has been or
is about to be established at any port.
The belligerent resorting to this meth
cd of stopping the commerce of the
enemy must issue a public proclama-
tion fixing the date upon which the
blockade is to take effect.
This proclamation must be issued a
reasonable time before the blockade is
established. 1t is the safer practice, un-
der the law of nations, to warn away
vessels approaching the blocladed
port, although the public proclamation
has been given. This practice has been
followed by the United States,-as APP
pears by the proclamation issued by
Mr. Lincoln, April 10, 1861, and it would
doubtless be observed If it were deemed
expedient to declare blockade against
Cuban ports.
Mr.. Lincolns proclamation an
nounced that a competent naval force
would be posted so as to prevent vessels
from entering or departing from the
seeded southern ports, and if with
view to violate such blockade any YES
sci should attempt to leave any of the
said ports it should be duly warned"
by the commander of one of the block
aiding vessels, who was required to in
dorse on the register of the offending
ship the fact and date of such warning.
II the same vessel should again at
| tempt to enter or leave the blockaded
port she would be captured and sent to
the nearest convenient port for such
proceeding against her and her cargo
as might be deemed advisable. This is
the great American precedent as to the
official notice respecting the establish
ment OF blockade. The blockading of
the confederate ports played an ex-
ceedingly important role in the sup
preston of the rebellion by preventing
the augmentation of southern resources
from foreign countries.-Philadelphia
Public Ledger.