The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-21

Government would enact and proclaim
an embargo on all exports Of foodstuffs
from the United States. This is an K
pedient to which we have often resorted,
though never under conditions 20 well
calculated as the present to make it IRE
sistibly effective. The history Of our
recourse to the embargo will be found
set forth in the seventh volume Of Pro-
lessor j. B. MooRE's useful Digest Of
International Law"
On March 20, 1874, by a joint resolution
OF Congress, an embargo was laid for
thirty days on all ships or vessels in ports
Of the United States bound for any for
eign port or place. By a resolution OF
April IS, 1904, the embargo was extended
thirty days longer. 1t was hoped that
these measures would lead to a ~restric-
ton Of the supply Of provisions to the
British feet in the West Indies. They
proved fruitless because England was
at that time self-supporting in the matter
Of f~oodstuffs, and could have herself
revictualled her West Indian fleet II sup
plies had not been proourable from other
quarters. subsequent act Of Congress,
passed or June 4, i7e4, authorizing the
President to lay an embargo whenever,
In his opinion. the public safety should
require It, remained u~nexecuted, owing
to the announcement Of JAYS mission
to England.
The most memorable use OF the en-
barge was made by JEFFERSON, who
himself, however, originally CON
mended In his special message Of Decem-
Der IS, 1907, only AN inhibition of the
departure Of our vessels from the ports
Of the United States The Senate,
nevertheless, in secret session, by a vote
Of % to 8, passed a bill laying an embargo
on all shipping, foreign and domestic,
In the ports of the United States. The
House with closed doors passed the bill,
after q debate of three days, by q vote
Of 50 to "A. The bill became a law by
the approval Of the President on Decem-
Der %, 1907, and remained a law until it
repealed by the act Of March 1, 1909.
We add that on April 1, 1912, President
MADISON sent q message to Congress
recommending another embargo, and
this was followed five days later by
the passage of an appropriate act. Eight
days afterward q supplementary meas
ure was adopted prohibiting exporta-
tions by land.
Now, JEFFERsoN's and MADIsoN's en-
bargoes, like WAsHINGToN's, failed to
produce the effect desired, for the con-
elusive reason that England at the time
was. self-supporting in respect of food
supplies. There was some pinching, but
no famine. The most noticeable effect
Of JEFFERsoN's prolonged embargo
was that in 1908 an increased acreage
was put under wheat in the British Isles.
Under the circumstances, most of the
suffering caused by the embargo was
inflicted, not upon the enemy, but upon
American producers and shippers. 1t Is
obvious that the situation at the present
time is entirely different. An embargo
enforced by US to-day would cause the
maximum Of damage to Great Britain
and the minimum of loss to our W
people. At present the British Isles
cannot produce a third Of the foodstuffs
they consume, and for by far the larger
part Of their necessary imports they rely
on the American States. Moreover, the
best authorities agree that for years the
United Kingdom has never had at a
given moment a stock Of foodstufs for
more than six weeks ahead.
It would only be needful, therefore,
for Congress to pass an act establishing
an embargo for sixty days, giving, how
ever, the President authority to extend
it for thirty days, at his option. Long
before the expiration OF ninety days the
embargo would be found a terribly
efficient weapon Of coercion. Meanwhile
the sufferings to which an embargo
be minimized, as we have said, first,
because our ocean carrying trade is now
relatively Insignificant, and secondly,
because our producers would not lose
their surplus grain, but would only be
obliged to retain it for a period OF three
months at the outside. The hypothesis
that an embargo might be evaded by
the transportation Of American grain TO
Mexico is inadmissible except on the
assumption that Federal Legislators are
less astute at the present time than they
were in 1912, when, eight days after
the establishment Of an embargo, they
passed Al act prohibiting expectations
by land.
OF course, It may be said OF an en-
barge, as Of war, that it is a weapon
which hurts the hand that uses it. So
It does; but, under the peculiar eco
nomic relations Of the United States TO
England-those Of an indispensable pur-
veyor to desperately hungry consumer
it would hurt the enemy far more.
Tho Brooklyn Whale.