The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-30
cablne. Tskes Action.

Cabinet Takes Action
fBy Ed L. Keen, United Press stan
CoresPondent-I
LONDON. Dec. g0.-Sot since Ihe
early days OF the var ras popular IN
terest been SO centsred on session
OF the British cabinet as todsT-
was q special meeting and vas called
To take Up the formal protest fled by
the United States against the right
of search and seizure now IN force By
British EarghipE on the high seas
Sir Edward Grey came back from
MS holiday vacation 70 handle The mat
Ter In person re went direct from the
train To the foreign oEcs and took up
with his sr5orsina1es the -eYt Of the
protest Of the United States, as He'd
there BIZ Ambassador Pzge- Wien he
entered ths cabinet meeting he took
win hin thu note and the reports
already compiled hE his assistants,
answering The rz-soas -oius raised BY
The United StaUas
Inasuucn Is the A-sTczl Possi7on
IL hassI On TIE Interpretation O. IL
tsrnstionsl Ian made hT TIE legal *
rerts OF the state 6epz-1ls1E aI WASH
ingron, II vas nor believed That The
protest can sas5l. De disposed OF II
was pointed cut that On IL isas- few
of .fhe points raised thsrs Is vide
difference OF opinion "a TIE Ea-T o.
international law experts aid that u
was very probable that On these Ts-T
points lengthy negotiations wl-a Ias
United States probably woUld be nee-
essay.
Certain members Of the cabinet take
the position thai there are no exist
ing precedents that operate in the
present case They hold that while
the United States has the right 20 IL
sist on no interference wfrn vessels
which carry cargoes that are bsyoud
question composed Of non-contraosnd
articles, IT cannot enforce its protests
where the British government Is IN
possession OF positive Information that
tcargoes of conditional contrsband'
are intended finally TO reach Germany
and Austria, even though those car
goes are in neutral bottoms and con-
signed TO neutral firms in neutral
countries. This Is especially the
case In the various cargoes OF meat
stuffs which have been seized and
which are claimed to be owned by the
big American packing firms. The
same holds true OF other kinds OF food
stuffs and also with the cargoes Of ao-
solute contraoand seized, consigned
TO Italy and certain of the Scandin-
aria countries. in the opinion Of these
cabinet officials The entire question
was threshed out at length at the
cabinet meeting today and the out
lines OF EngIand's reply were decided
on.
Newspaper Comment.
LONDON, Dec. 36.-The newspapers
comment at length on the American
protest today. The Pail Mall Gazette
says: I'VE should bear in mind that
America has never adopted the silky
tone Of European diplomacy. We
should not show irritation at the
brusque wording OF the note and
should realize that there has always
been mutual goodwin between lne
countries"
The Westminster Gazette says:
I'VE desire to do everything in our
power TO mitigate the situation for
neutrals. Yet to prevent our checking
contraband traffic would be TO inter
vene on the side OF Germany and we
are sure that this is not the intention
of the American note"
The Evening Standard says: 1T is
impossible to think that the president
of the United States made this pro-
test in any spirit of hostility"
The Evening News says: THE
matter is largely one Of common sense.
1t is unthi1Iable that two great friend
~ nations would treat # other than
in a common sense way"