New-York tribune., 1904-08-09
A,rrr1caN VIEWS OF CONTRABAND.

t--o,, tho beciunioC of the war, and especially
From, tho beginning of Russian seizures OF heu-
,rsl commerce we have pointed out thar one uA
Tho Fundamental and most essential points IL
VOWED IS the question what is and what Is not
oo,,roiand That was made clear at the out
set when the Russian and Japanese govern
,nenis issued their rules OF war ana declared
what thev should respectively regard rs con-
.-aiand The japanese rules were IN accord
with the general sense and practice or the
,vorld-to wit that such articles AS provisions
fuel railroad material. etc. might or might not
he cou1rabaud according 20 their destination
ard rnirlJose That rule. as we have already
poirtnd out is at least as old as Grotius. But
tIa Russian government. which more than
century ago was the foremost champion or the
ereajom OF neutral commerce, put forth for, we
believe the drst time in the history OF civilized
warfare the amazing pretension that all such
goods should be considered contrsband regard
less Of destination or circumstances.
Our London correspondent. in the letter which
we printed yesterday. tells us that those Rus
sian rules did not attract attention in England
They were published there months ago. but
there is no evidence that the British or any
European government protested against their
unprecedentedly drastic character. We must
at least hope that such silence is not 10 be In
teII)rcted as implying assent. In America, II IS
pleasant Ia he reminded, they did attract atten-
tion and provoked official action. Secretary
HAYS note Of June 10 last, the text of which is
now published, was explicit and TO the point
II protested against the indiscriminatc condem-
nation OF food. fuel, cotton. etc, cOntraband
as appearing mot To be in accord with the rea-
"sonabie and lawful rights OF neutral eOnl-
"merce" II did more than that. II showed
that I'm thus protesting against the Russian rules
the United States was simply adhering 70 its
own principles promulgated and executed
during the Spanish war. Still more; 1t demon
stratcd with telling effect that In making these
extraordinary rules the Russian government
was directly repudiating its own policy. We
have recalled the liberal attitude of Russia a
century ago, I'm the tine OF the Armed Neutral
ity. Mr.. Hays note further recalled, by cita-
ton of authority, that as late as 1884 in the
West African conference, the Russian govern
ment vigorously dissented from the suggestion
that coal be included among contraband arti-
cles, and declared that II would categOTicaliy re-
fuse fits consent to any articles in any treaty
thus prescribing it.
Upon the ground so tempeI4teIy but so con-
vincingly set forth by the Secretary of State
and 80 completely in accord with the long estab
lished practice OF this country and with the
common consent of civilized States, our gov.
ernment can maintain its stnnd. 1t may rea-
r0nably and justly expect Russia 10 meet II
upon that ground. 1t is the ground Of RuSsia's
OwR choice in earlier and in later years. It is
the ground Russia insisted upon when others
were concerned, and she cannot abandon il
with grace now that she herself is concerned
II is a matter that involves the commercial Sc
curity and neutral rights OF the whole world
If these Russian pretensions, TO class bread and
coal along with cunpOwder and cannon as al
ways and invariably contraband of war. should
prevail, then whenever two maritime nations
We're at war the ocean commerce Of the whole
world would have TO be suspended That world
be intoleTable barbarisn