Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1914-10-02
Americans Have Right 10 Ship
Anything to Europe. but Must
Take Risk Of Capture.
WASHINGTON WON'T GIVE AID
ENJOYS Of Warning Nations. Like
Many Other Persons, Seem 70 MiS
take the Meaning Of Neutrality
and Make Thoughtlees
Charges.


ambassadors representing foreign gov
iernmenta now AZ war call upon tho
president Of fhs United States. Il 10
said they are extraordinarily restrained
Ia their conversations al the White
House. being az careful as II they were
American citizens 20 obey Mr. VIII
sons injunction not TO say things
which might stir up trouble or excite
anlmosltiea
Some Of the flcials 10 Washington
apparently wish that the ambassadoss
from the warning countries would talk
az renirainediy IN public az they do
IN the privacy OF the executive man
sion There Is actual fear Expressed
that some ambassador Ia his public
speech Nill oyerstep the bounds Of dip
Ioma,ic propriety and say something
which may force the United States
10 ask bis government 10 call him
back home This sort OF thing has
happened several times Ia American
history
The trouble with the ambassadors
Ia that they read things Ia the dis.
patches which CRATE on their nerves
and they proceed to talk. One ambaa-
.nAdor the other day came pretty near
making an open declaration that the
United States as government war
violating It's proclamation OF neutral.
ity.
Thouahtleas ~ No Worse.
Here Is where the trouble comes
In Ambassadors. like a good many
other people. seem to take Il FOR
granted that the act OF a private Amer
lean citizen ~ IA. act OF the govern
Inent 1t was one OF the foreign rep.
ressntativea who told newspaper
man tho other day that arms and am
munilioa were being shipped from the
United States 70 one OF the belligerent
countries. Nov. he did not say di.
rcctiy thu unlted States was doing
II. nor did be say that the act was
a violation OF neutrality. but tho Intent
was q complaint. and persons who do
not understand what private eitlfepa
OF neutral power can DO and what
They cannot do. Instantly took Il for
granted that this government was
sinking AZ the giving Of open aid and
comfort 10 one country to the dis
adyaniaEe Of another country Wash.
lngton officials. llke other men. seem
iagiy think that the inteutioa was 20 /
create this impscsslou aud that Il was
a thoughsless thing 20 Do. n nothing
worse
From tho Inquiries which come into
" Arlington constantly there seems 10
be a widespread Misunderstanding OF
what American citizens and what
American firms can dc IA the way OF
shipping goods 10 belllgcrents ia,
hing a case 10 point. one United States
senator received Inquiries from SOW
efal business corporations IA his state.
saying they had orders FOR goods 20
BE- shipped 70 belligerent. but they
we're afraid u they shipped them they
would be violating the neutrality OF
the United States
The senator IN answering the la
oairios told the inqulscrs 70 ship any.
thing that they wanted 70 aud 10 put
the risk on tbs purchasers. he told
them there would BE- no violation OF
the neutrality OF the United States.
sven n they shipped guns. cartridges
and dynamite He was right
Must Run Rlsk Of Capture.
All that neutral does is 10 declare
hat any goods shipped hy its people
sbich are eontfaband OF war are
table 70 seizure By tho ships OF the
,oanfry or countries with which the !
ration ordering the goods Is az war Z
rhe uulted states government will
iog protect such shipments and Meth Z
v ~iil Il forbid them OF course. II ,
siii not ship anything under It's own :
anction. Flrms who ship contraband '
4 var must run The risk OF capture {
iniess they can turn the risk over 20 '
he nation which orders the goods.
shieh means simply that the forward a
nx firms piil SEQ 70 Il that payment 4
. received Ia advance In this case 4
'fter The co0traband leaves American r
,orts Il r. AZ the risk % tho rur q
hsssr o
During the war between the states a
be southern ports wero blockafed snd
aztec Of the blockade vas given TO all
oreigu po4ers. Individual rruss
broad sent all kinds % contrabsnd o< I
rsr 10 the southern states aud ran s.
he risk Of capture The United q
;tstes could not object TO what lnci. Il
fduai frEs did II could object. how =
yer, when = foreign nation attempted b
- its own account ~ a government u
o extend aid 20 the Corfederacy. Tho Il
Itting out Of the cruiser Alabama In A
British port is a case tn point 4
No Recourse for Shippers Il
So 10 SUN NJ the situation. as Wesh- Q.
ngt0n understands X, Americans can b
hip guns or anything else they q
hoose 70 Germany. Russia. France or p
.rslard. tet fer W tvc 10 r. q