The National tribune., 1904-08-18
THE RULE OF TIE SEA.

merchant vessels carrying cargOeS to the
East has had many surprising develop
ments. We had been told that there had
been great advance made In international
law in the last few years in the way of pre-
venting interference by belligerents with
the ships of neutral atoms. On the other
hand, Russia has taken a position fully
as dangerous to commerce as anything in
the bad old NapoleOnic Wars. According
to the Russian claims, almost everything
is contraband if consigned to an hostile
port and therefore a ship carrying it is
liable to seizure upon the high seas. At
the time of our war with Spain the Presi-
dent in n proclamation announced very
limited number of articles which would
be contraband. but Russia goes 80 far as
to put cotton, steel rails, and manufactures
of iron and steel upon the forbidden list
A commercial ship of to-day differs from
those of an earlier age in having an i'm
mensely greater variety of articles in her
cargo, so that any one of them is certain
to have on her things that will render her
liable to capture by Russian ships. Conse-
quently. several important trans-Pacific
lines have called their ships off. and others
will not receive anything consigned to q
japanese port.
The British Government has protested
against this wholesale business by the
Russians. but not so energetically as was
expected. The British merchants are suf-
fering a severe loss of trade in conse-
quence. 1t is said that this makes greatly
for the benefit of the Germans who have
probably entered into a secret agreement
with Russia, which protects their ships
slams report having sunk one German ship
and searched several, but this would seem
to be merely for the sake of appearances,
as the Germans have shown no excitement
about it. 1t remains doubtful whether the
German ship Thea was actually sunk as
reported. or not The Germans are sharp
competitors of the British for the Oriental
trade, and they are up to as many sharp
tricks to get it as the English have been
They are probably working their friend
ship for Russia for all that it is worth, to
get ahead of Great Britain in the present
crisis.
Secretary Hay has issued long circular
Of instructions to the American Emba ssa
doris, in which he discusses the matter of
contraband of war and arrives at the fol-
lowing conclusion:
'The recognition in principle of the
treatment of coal and other fuel and raw
cotton as absolutely cOntraband of war
might ultimately lead to a total inhibi-
ton of the sale by neutrals to the people
Of belligerent states Of all articles which
could be finally converted to military
| uses. Such an extension of the principle
by treating coal and other fuel and raw
cotton as absolutely cOntraband of war
simply because they are shipped by q
neutral to a nOn-blockaded port of bel
| ligerent would not appear to be i'm accord
with the reasonable and lawful rights of a
| neutral commerce"
He points out that in 1884 Russia vigor-
contraband articles Of war, and announced
| that she would not sign any treaty which
did.
Secretary Hays position is strongly sup
ported by the British Government. In his
answer in the House Of Commons to ques-
tions upon the subject, Premier Bafour
said that there was no adequate justi6-
cation for the sinking Of the British ship
knight Commander by the Russians, and
that this had been represented to the Rus
sian Government. On the other hand, the
Russians had given up the Malacca and
withdrawn their volunteer feet from the
Mediterranean and Red Seas.