El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-20
Copper As Absolute Contraband

OOHPOA
IF THERE we're a real secretary Of state at Washington just now, Ensiands
nonsense about Selling all copper cargOes in American ships OF the pretezt
\ that they are absolute oontraband would be pretty sOOnd disposed Of tut as
things are it looks as if the whole copper industry were to be an0"ea " 60 ."
pieces, for lack # the right word at the right time
war, when ordinary demand from abroad ceased This caused the curtament
Of copper output, in some cases to onehalf the normal Some smaller plants
were forced to shut down entirely None kept up their full production mere
vas much loss a a consequence not only " copper Hm' Ot " al 80
and occupations indirectly dependent OIL the industry, and to the general public
The shock fell heavily Of Arizona and New Mexico and therefore OF q Pa0
The immediate effects were the laying off of thousands Of mel in the southwest
engaged in mining and reducing copper; the pulling off of freight and passenger
the cutaimeut of operations Of New Mexico coal mines and coke plants laying
off more men; the lewening Of demand for all products If agriculture and manu-
faaure, and the urtaHment of mercantile trade; the withdrawal IF large sums
from banks and consequent Tightening of money curtaIment Of lOans' and IN
reference with general business,
shocks did not create unbearable conditions O. predptate disaster After the
first blow, recovery began promptly It was realized that domestic demand
for copper would be stimulated, in some lines It least Some Of the companies
500 started to return to something like normal conditions There was a general
disposition to make the best Oh te SIuan@- BUSINESS H0uaH "HP|'su "n
Then came Engands declaration that copper was conditional contEsband;
BTt in m maxim S Seizures Hp 5e u85er I'll this S" re. En- England and paid for the seized copper.
seizures ~ ~ ~N0
Never before has copper been deemed contraband, except in some cases when
apparatus The inclusion Of raw copper metal in the list Of absolute oontraband
Enssa5a technical right to declare a soB 35- absolute 4oatE E%a need
fSf3 H552t of J eG 9a s6Tsf 5 ut gs TaT ms aS5 A 0th m,t than !. g4 Gst am deI silver liver HI! have sI been
engaged Ee1s n gas tG 31 decide fG nr ITSELF or notice to ne4Ials ~
IN England has never contested this definition until now.
the act Of Great Britain as to create some international law that wiz STAND.
PTT2yal a remark BY Dana, the great American international lawyer, as follows:
military use of his enemy is. the the f foundation S1' II the ai Iy Of afV oont Hsba6s H but i is
tight 2 the one hand and the light Of # the a neutES % to trade Gd s" with ' fs ea 2a8yFs on
..DD The Is least e rt the United ted States should ,s!t do at this moment with reference to
question that the cmgos are intended iG for the w TT 9t u9eo If t ds e ns82l s DSyG n4
burden of proof should be placed on the country making the Secure geHTrs uOuO1 Inc
Furthermore the principle Of fun payment for @T the seized %sd Sarge o%go should be
oon& Sa5soi e q Of n. g4g5Pg %s+ s ss8Bs Fl from q5, America tsu carried lied in neutral al,, vessels and
can establish that they were intended for warike use of IN enemy.
Englands act in declaring copper absolute oontraband and Selling American
6s So characterized af By those hose at " washington asHa gp r@p @ ah Sn fT oily 4 foj IN 8 8opgd
1etS very mlernauona precedent covering centuries of practice, for the
exemption of copper unless under circumstances involving direct supply Of waniEe
1o1I t. tn enemy There is n precedent for Englands act in Selling raw
{- a IN most fs embarrassing precedent for the duration of this war but it viii stand
f fD ,s s4yta hing else for the definitions have never been settled. It is time right df S now %
EaTIe uSeof tbe e mon mt nat is that copper is exempt unless destined for the
lines Of Of Pfs2ntido9 f5t the s%se to to Great. Great Britain Brit should be made on the b5oadsst
present instance brings OF a direct is sd uT In Su4 on9Ea + hanaea Ia ISM a IN the
beaigIent and the right Of the neufTaiS In fis SU eae the peT nsTt1s I S, ngI 81 u t n
a country with which England cannot afford to TO- STss g u~ A Tee+im 3 PPe e pc
e9n g greatest afd-S H SIS IN the worlds history for 1000 years is something that England
=. If W had a Seward or a John Hay as minister of state in this emergency,
released from the absolute cOntmband order within a fortnight Can this admins
vigorous protest against Fnsiands Unjust assault S%a On q d %r legitimate tin S% tr %SS west TOT
mea 66nf ft for 5H a moment oa n. what it means to the southwest alone: We shall not
If Englands order stands the copper industry in the southwest win Largely Or or
%Tho Fl Pao Southwest" ass I o&ef b S9ERo of a trade c%5 p.6 t9 fRnt9 m o INDUSTRY ia
supply Of copper besides Millions in ni ied ' 5H2eT Gi s 18th s5 of thu the total American AN
amount to s7[aSo a ve s 'fsGGg a year Its purchases through local houses
mom f on one sb GI the ne = Pasos nster turns Out a product of nearly 100000 a
Mexico If the FL PasO smeter should shut down its copper departtm ef' o m N@ ag
would be Laid Off PayFoHs would be reduced by ssz iGSR a month Il S od9.S oT e. S @aD5 msa
copper ores other than Chino ores would be be- cut down low % by 8ia S66 G a %a1iR IS ts
continue continue the le3dSlver department in which case the loss t. Fl Paso and south,
New Mexico Arizona, and northern Mexico copper mines within FL psso. trade
supply. These mines and mills have an Sprgg9ts c ooPPeE ana nd mali mali te american
P.S oS 81 copper annually, worth $9q0ooOOO Oh a 1c market. Arizona alone
Think Of the vast army Of wOTkmen engaged in industries Indirectly dependent
shops the factories the wholesale and retail trade, the farmers and fruit flowers
west are dependent for their livelihood hood in n p sf on oc copper IIeG %f Rhsona New a IN %s sGatf IS
product of her coal mines and cOkng plants is very largely used in the copper
We have mentioned Chino. The seriousness # the situation NAV best be-