Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-03-12

this war Give the Cubans the. right
to buy provisions here and munitions,
and take item to Cuba in their Owu
vessels without being pirates.
| will read Just few sentences To
show the position the United States
nas occupied where belligerency rights
have been acknowledged. / read from
Wharton's International Law Digest.
1t shows how impossible it would be
for "A country like this TO prevent the
sale of munitions OF war and contra
band generally to belligerents. Neu-
trality does not require it. This is
the position taken by this country
from the beginning. In closing he
says.
To establish a national police which
could prevent the sale of such staples
would impose on neutral states bur
den not only intolerable, but incOm-
patible with constitution al tradi
lions. 1t might be possible in a
laud-lOcked province like SwitZer-
land; it might even be possible in is;
islands of the size OF Great Britain
hut in a country so vast as the
United States. and with an ocean
frontier so extended, it would be i'm
possible to establish police that
could preclude such expectation with
out vesting in the national govern
ment powers and patronage incOn-
sistent with Republican institutions
and so enormously expensive as to
make it more economical to interpOse
in war as a belligerent than to
watch such war as neutral. For
these and other reasons the United
States government has insisted on the
right of neutral to send munitions
of war to a belligerent; and this po-
sition was taken by President Grant
in his proclamation ofAugust %, 1870.
1t goes on to say:
"It was contended," says Chancel
lor Kent q Com, 142) ION the part
of the French nation in 1895, that
neutral governments we're bound to
restrain their subjects from selling or
exporting articles cOntraband of war
to the belligerent powers. But it was
successfully shown, on the part of the
United States, that neutralS may
lawfully sell at home to belligerent
purchaser, or carry themselves Ito the
belllgerent powers, ,contrabaud articles
subject to the right of seizure in
transit. This right has since been
explicitly declared by the judicial
authorities of this country.
1t then cites list of authorities.
Now, with belligeiency rights vessel
could load up here at the wharf with
munitions of war for Cuba, and the
United States would baye no right
to interfere. The Only danger they
would run would be capture in transit
which would be mere nominal
danger.
Cuba has been held, say what you
please, in subsection and her people
murdered by the hundr eds Of tncu-
sands by the refusal Of the United
States to be neutral. We cannot
avoid that responsibility. 1t is the
want of neutrality on part of United
States which holdsCuba in subsection,
and nothing else. Her independence
is assured as soon as she has belliger-
ent rights, so that she can defend
them. 1t is said Cuba has no ships.
If the United States takes its hands
off, the, world stands ready to sell her
ships. She has the richest island in
the world; she is practically out of
debt, and they would be teager to sell
her ships and sell her munitions of
war from every part Of the world.
Spain could not maintain herself six
no, not sixty days, after we
take our hands off the throat Of the
which we have held there at
great expense.