Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-01-13
LIFE OR DEATH.
What EngIand's Action Regard.
ing Food Stuffs May Mean.
Her Great Safeguard in Case OF
Continental Coalition Against Her
Would BE Supplies From Amer.
ica-Her Recent Decision Regard
ed as of Far-Reachtng ImpOr-
tanCe.

London, Jan. 1.-THE release of the
seized American flour cargoes, together
with the statement Of the attitude of the
British government on the subject of
food as contra band, Is Of SURPRISING i'm
portance. II correctly stated, the Brit
ish government holds "foodstuffs are not
contraband Of war unless intended for
the enemy"
The foreign Office only arrived at de-
Cision yesterday, and it was not until
after Mr.. Choate's interview had ended
that note embodying the provisions
was drawn up. Several of the govern
ment's advisers wanted to make regu-
lation regarding canned goods, but this
was decided to be unpractiCable.
The decision to make flour and grain In
transit to the enemy contraband is ev.-
IDENTIFY hedged in by many difficulties o.
execution. But the foreign office be-
H>vcs that investigation will gene: al;
determine whether the grain is reall,
meant for consumption at LCle. 20
Marquee or in the Transvaal
Mr. Choate cabled Lord Salisbulys
note to the state department at Wash
ington last night, and Secretary Hay Is
expected to reply accepting the tel ms
The latter step was not taken by Mr.
Ckoate, as he had first to receive au
thorily from the state department TO
do so.
If the above accurately outlines Eng
lands policy as regards food In war
times, It is pointed out that it may prove
4 terrible boomerang to her later. Her
once safeguard in the event of conti-
mental coalition against her, her one
guarantee against starvation would be
her assurance that ample food supplies
could reach her from the United States
under our neutral flag. In quite
conceivable conjuncture it might be-
come for England a matter of life and
death to see upheld the principle. first,
that free ships make free goods, and,
secondly, that food is not contraband
of war
1t is true that during the first IL years
Of this century England invariably
:reated food as contraband, but neither
she nor any other country has done so
since the PRONUNCIATION of the treaty of
Paris No doubt, the food which keeps
soldier alive is quite as indispensa bic
to him as the rife with which he fires
or the cartridge with which he loads it.
It was upon this theory that during
her wars against the French republic
and empire England tried to starve out
the French.
Now, however, the situation is al
.cred. France and Germany are we'll
nigh self-supporting as regards food
supplies. AnI Russia actually has a sur
plus of them for export. England, on
the contrary, depends upon outsiders for
/ great prepondcrance OF the food she
needs. 1t is. doubtless, possible. just
now, that the food supplies of the Trans
vaal and Orange Free State are growing
short, but the Beers are still incom-
oarably better off from this point of
view than the inhabitants Of Great Brit
an would be in the course of a few weeks
after the outbreak of war with conti-
mental powers, in case the shipment of
grain from the United States We're
stopped, on the ground either that free
ships do not make free goods. or that
food must be considered contraband of
var.
1t was impossible for the British for
eign office to defend the seizure Of Amer
lean flour, except upon one of two as
,umptions: First, that the principle
hat free ships make free goods is not
applicable to the United States. because
we did not sign the treaty of Paris, and
must therefore fall back on the the terma
of an agreement concluded by us with
england in 1894; or. secondly, that food
ought to be treated as contraband Of
war. Either assumption would be an
egregious blunder on the part Of a coun-
try, which, in event of a war with the
continental powers, would be mainly de-
pendent for it's food supplies on neutral
powers. If England cannot defeat tn,
Beers without establishing such fatal
precedent, says diplomat. it would be
Better for her future security to recall
Ter soldiers from South Africa, and ac-
knowledge the absolute independence of
the Transvaal.