New-York tribune., 1910-07-23
NO DLUEF|ELDS BLOCKA|
Madriz's DEGREES CIosino po,.
Are Devoid of Effect,
GUARD SHIPS PASSING BLurr
If Fired Upon, Shots Will Be Pa
turned and Nicaragua's
War Vessels Seized
[Fronn The Tribune Bureau. 7


washington. July 22-The attitude
State Department regarding tn. so-eau..
blockade of BIuedelds by the Madrsz O..
ton was made clear to-day in con1rnu,s.
tions addressed to the Bluefelds stesps..-
Company and seven other American
which have been delaying shiprsnt,
that port because of the warning sen, -
by the Norwegian government TO va,,.'N
under it's register. A copy was also -
to the Charge d Anaires of the No-ws,,--
Legation. who was In conference 90
with Huntington Wilson. Acting gecra..-,
of State.
In it's communication the State ns,,-.
ment practically gives the shippers r..
assurance that American vessels a..
American goods will be given full r-ot..
ton by the United States. Althossh !.
makes no specific reference 10 Anar,..-
carzoes in Norwegian ships the onf7y ,4-s
chartered for Central American trada -
If happens, the inference Is clear thar -.
State Department will not tolerate anv IN
reference with American comr1sres :,
property by the Madriz gunboat Venus.
The State Department denies th. .x,...
ence Of a blockade at Biuehelds the r.us,
of the Venus to act in any beIlixsrent -.
paeity, or the right Of the Madriz fae,ior
under the present circumstances, to diz.,v,
legitimate trade at Bluefelds.
Mr. Wilson said IN response to IN. ~.
quiries from the shipping companies: "ot.
fetal reports just received from Blues.d.
seem 10 indicate that the rsportsd act,c,
of Norway may have been based upon
Tr@
it is now a well settled and recoznizs5
principle of international law that po--s
in the possession of hostile forces ca,ro-
be closed TO foreign commerce by nlsrs
executive decrees Of closure unless snc,
DEGREES are followed and supported pv 81.
fective biockades of the ports so closed. r
would. therefore, seem that the rersrfsd
Madriz DEGREES Of October L and Nav IL
closing the port Of BIuefelds. are. in TIA
absence Of effective blockade at that uor-
devoid of effect or influence upon neutral
commerce.
In the second place, it would aposa,
that even should a foreign governnnen,
recognize the right of blockade by a shio
of the character of the Venus. neverths.
theless. as 1T is notorious that the Venus
has. since her appearance ar that por.
been absent from BiuefeIds for long
periods, on which occasions she is repor,s5
to have violated the rules Of international
law by bonnbarding other unfortifed
Nicaraguan towns. and also TO have ceu-
rnitted other acts of hostility, all so far
from her base at Bluedelds, II would ap-
pear clear that were the contemplassd
blockade of Bluehelds ever effective il mas
long since ceased TO be SO. and is therefore
without any value N international law
B1uefe,ds now being under these eircun-
stances an open port"
Commander Gilmer, in charge Of ths
American naval forces at Bluefelds. was
instructed on May a that "a vessel which
by deceiving the authorities at a rorr Of
the United States sailed therefror1 in the
guise of a merchantmen, but had IN real
ity been destined for use as a war vessel
by such act has forfeited full belligerent
rights. such as the right Of search on ths
high seas and o. blockade
In accordance with this. Comrnadner Gil.
mer issued notice TO the Nadriz faction
that no interference with the Shipping %
American firms in legitimate business
would be permitted He ordered guard
Of American marines or sailors On vessels
passing the Bluff when in legitimate trade
and informed General Rivas that il they
were fired upon the fire would be returned
and the Venus and San Jacinto seized
New Orleans, July 22-FoIlouing the re-
ceipt OF the news to-day from washington
that the State Department had declared
Bluefields, Nicaragua. to be an open port.
local steamship agents sent cable mes
sages to the Owners of six or more Nor
wegian steamers which had been plying
between Gulf ports and BluefeIds, appris-
ing them of the action of the American
government The general BELIEF is that
this diplomatic stroke at Washington viii
have the effect of soon re-establishirs tbs
trade which was broken up By the recent
action Of the Norwegian government n
the Madriz blockade