The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-16

The colonial authorities of Jamaica,
British island, say that until specific instruc-
tons to the contrary are received from the
home government. coal will not be regarded
as contraband of war. That is to say the
dealers there will continue to sell coal to
American and Spanish ships alike until they
receive instructions to the contrary.
The question of what is contraband of
war has figured to a greater or less extent
in all modern wars. In time of peace con-
traband goods are such as are prohibited
to be imported exported by the laws of
particular country for reasons of it's own.
In time of war arms and munitions of war,
and such other articles as may directly aid
belligerent operations are called contraband
of war, and, under international law the
furnishing of them to one of two belIigerent
nations is violation of neutrality. What
ever supplies the wants of war or helps a
belligerent to prosecute war is contraband.
Ii was on this ground that General Butler,
who was good lawyer before he was gen.
eral and a better lawyer after than he was
general, during the war held that negro
slaves escaping into the Union lines were
was made early in the war. Immediately
after Buffers arrival with force at
Fortress Monroe, in May, 1861. negroes be-
gan to come within his lines. When their
masters attempted to reclaim them General
Butler refused to surrender them on the
ground that as they were being used to
construct rebel Notifications they were con-
traband of war. He said they were as much
an aid to the enemy as powder or guns,
and to all demands of their former owners
he replied, Il shall detain them as contra
band of war" He did so. and put them at
work constructing field works. His action
was approved by the government and
throughout the war fugitive slaves were
known as "contrabands."
Coal is only contraband of war because
it is a necessity to war ships In the old
days of sailing ships it could not have been
SO classed. 1t is not so classed now if sold
to a steam merchant vessel of a belligerent,
only if furnished to a war ship. During our
civil war our secretary of state had sharp
correspondence with the British government
over the fact that the colonial authorities
at Nassau allowed Confederate steamer
to coal there and refused to allow United
States vessel to do the same. The British
government defended the action the
ground that the Confederate steamer was a
merchant vessel probably blockade run
ner), while the United States vessel was a
war ship, and that to furnish the latter
with coal would be a violation of the
Queens proclamation of neutrality between
the Federals and Confederates. To this
Secretary Seward replied:
The proceedings of the Governor of Mas
sau are regarded by the President as UNI
friendly towards a power that extends un-
restricted Inequalities to the naval as we'll
as the mercantile marine of Great Britain
in it's ports and harborS. The grievance is
not SenSibly alleviated by the fact that the
government of her Majesty are able to
her Majesty in May last, conced1ng the
rights of belligerent to the insurgents in
arms against the United States. The eX-
PLANTATION obligeS us to renew the declara-
ton this government has so often made,
that it regards the proclamation itself as
unnecessary, unfriendly and injurious.
In the event of war with Spain the United
States, which would have no need of obtain
ing coal at Jamaica, would probably re-
monstrate against Spanish ships being al
lowed to coal there at all, and the British
government would probably heed the re-
monstrance.f The attitude of Great Britain
towards the United States at present is
very different from that of 1861