The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-24
CoNTRABAND OF WAR.

Great BritiaR's Decision Will BE En-
tirely to the Interest Of the .
United States.
The question as to whether either of
the belligerents in the war between the
United States and Spain could obtain
coal for its war vessels at the ports Of
neutrals is engaging the attention of the
Navy and State Departments.
Great Britain recently has announced
it as her intention to regard coal as con-
traband of war in the event of hostilities
between the two countries.
This decision is not at all a new policy
as that country always has held to the
theory that coal and all military supplies
are contraband, although in practice she
has not observed strictly this now gen.
orally recognized International law.
In q number OF instances, according to
a high naval authority who has made a
special study of this subject with a view
to the conditions that may prevail dur
ing the war with Spain, Great
Britain has declared it her in
tention to prevent the furnishing of coal
and other supplies used in war to either
of the belligerents. That country has,
however, found it impossible to prevent
her citizens from selling and exporting
coal, and consequently her coal mines
have supplied bellieerents in spite of
the solemn declarations of the Foreign
Office.
This was notably true in the Franco
German war, when Bismark remon-
strated with Great Britain for permitting
the export of coal to France. This re-.
monstrance was Intellectual. and the sub.
iects of Great Britain continued to sell
coal to the French ships.
The award made Nv the Geneva Tr;-
bunal. in September. 1872. which has
since that time formed a valuable mart Of
the code Of international Law touched
directly upon the furnishing If coal IN
belligerents bv citizens of Great Rritian,
The report of the proceedings Of the fri
bunal has the following.
SIT was maintained in the American
case that the nroofs showed that the in.
surpent cruisers vessels nj the Confad.
crate Navvl vera permitted to snnnlv
themselves with coal in British norris +,
greater nnant;tias and with ara.tar fraa. %.
dom and VIII lnSs rost ,;ct;onss thon ,rero
imnosed mon tho JTnited States. and il
was insisted that in consaonenca If these
facts there was an ahSonca of nontral;t,
which made those norts hases of hostile
onarat;ons aoo;nst Tho Tn;tod St,+os
ON order to imnart IN .nv snnni;es nj
coa, a charactar ;ncons;stant ,r;th the
rnle nrohihiting tho nse nf ne,trai norts s
or waters ,s a Raso a. naval n,,arat;n ,us
for a hell;aeront II ;s nocassarv that the
said sunniies should he nomnootoG viii
snoc;oj ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - two - ,,a,s "v.
or ~ n,ano mh;oh nov, on,n h;no ~ w. ' ";,,t,
thom r smcb otora u m :, '"''''e W s'e
' The naval oiI" anthor;+, :, ro,t;o,oa allow,
soid that tha Iau ~ thn naso :; o1 .nUlv
understood ~ ha ae foIlnuS "'o o'>"' ,
~ Is ~" I W. Wv Us ~ af, ,,o',.,;. J.. o,
oool fnr ,,so %" hoII;uon 'tS 49, y" sal'
,,;S;t;.r +h uso o s ~ Is'
StroSs q W." aottb bar d. : Visual uS nHuH
S v,o 1871 W. "I'' as uI ~ WIN Pai'
a,i 4 n.e Jo 81 heu.IaiiVy ~ establish
o, ~ iepIv w. ol 11pply oil s'e"''e's Vi
'' !,T T fnrn;sh;nm 81 onaIto ho,,;uoro,+,
a. +ha;r ior ,,'',,s VI ooa' t w. oe..ge, en-
o,l ~,,,o,,ol -, 49, I q. ~: !
ah; w oIeu w '''e 'i'i'eo o'"'es' saiu
V''. ~ u''i ,oos Mr. p, 49,, o
IS ctn n 400 ooI w.. H. n"!a1u, .'leil SECRETARY
af o.' '.ae, 49,, ti,e io,lo"liig 'alieuase III
on5 t tIa w. W. ',,,1 g ,n,"tte l.. - W pe W..
81 % 'uu wa. e,'o i.'V .l'a. Iel'a'l al'ioles
VI .oi !. aLe coii.lapa,'u ooes no.
t'aNe IL a, o.eaIli VI ilcu.la'ltE W export
o,ni, ne' ~ ,'"s ii,e oeeil slnGt ale Or.
ga.'is',"' ; VI W. s1.T'llllei1 aEl'oPea,
t W." III milieH III iuli accordance W'tl
t,e ii'Js ~ c. national laW as accepted
!; py Ihe = lll'eu o.ues' inuhltlohs OF wal
t'"so nv. p p. sti't ny hellcan citlhei!'
70 one VI oo',' vi We sflllgerehts, vet II
has ; never IS peen aouo,ea that tme :
l,.nr'',,i -, "m, II HtlHeu ny me oelllg
e eaI1 a as whom .l1ey were 10 pe use'
t bo'd n1 ~ peem cnhuginleu az cohtra
oanu. , ir QUESTION "lletner FURNISHING
eoai w pGlnSeIIh'S Is rreacn o! nel
, UIan.f "illci 'lle "a" ~ NATIONS ,o,pio
fhtlst oe answered III tile negative:
~ IL . 'l,lue,sIoou oy tne Navy depart
me! menu tliat ureat bfltains RUE is ina
, ..'e Sl'lps vi iel.ieI pelllseren' can Goa
az l,er STATIONS curing war except II
, s.leSs Vi "ea.i'e', VI wheii snip Is max
ny liei run nome ana heeos coal 10 taxi
i'eI NO W. 'ile iieA! statloi;