The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-04
MANY ARTICLES ON
CONTRAbANO LIST
TERM CONrRABAND AN ELASTIC
oSEt DECISIONS MUST
BE MAI
LONDON DECL ARATlON
ARTICLES SUSCEPTIBLE OF USE In
WAR INCLUDED IN CoNDI-
TToNAL CoyTRABAND LIST.
ARMS ON ABSOLUTE LIST.

Scores Of shippers were asking 10
day the question, what constitutes
contraband OF war; As the term Ia
elastic, the question cannot be an
swered categ notwithstanding IA
tons must themselves be the Anal
arbiterA The conference Of London
in 1909, however. dealt with tho
subject exhaustively. and. while the
declaration promulgated by that
conference has not been universally
ratified, 1t Is likely to be the basis
OF decisions In the conflict now im-
minent
Cotton heads the list Of non-con-
ira band articles In the declaratiod.
Gold Is on the conditional contra
band ltst--that Ia, II becomes
contrahand II it is shipped to a ma
ton involved In war. and Ia then liable
to seizure by the enemy On tho
absolute contrahand" list are arma,
ammunition and all military equip
ment.
Are Conditional ContrAband.
Article "a OF the London declare
ton. gives the list OF conditional
contraband IS follows:
The following articvles susceptt-
BILE OF use in war as we'll as for pur-
poses of peace. may without notice
be treated as contraband OF war. un-
der the name OF conditional contra-
band:
Foodstuffs.
Forage and grain suitable for feed
ing animals.
Clothing, fabrics for clothing ana
boots and shoes suitable for use In
war
Gold and silver. In coin or bulliouy
paper money.
Wat,trInr re ~xx~r-x1
use in war and their component
parts.
Vessels craft and boats OF an
kinds: floating docks. parts Of docks
and their component parts.
Railway material. both fixed ana
rolling stock and material for te1e-
graphs, wireless telegraphs and tele-
phones.
Balloons and flying machines and
their component parts. together with
accessories and articles recognizable
as intended for use in connection
with balloons and flying machines
Fuel; lubricantA
Powder and explosives not Sped.
ally prepared for war use.
Barbed wire and implements for
fixing and cutting same.
Horseshoes and shoeing materials
Harness and saddling.
It Ictu GLASSES, horoscopes. Cnf0nA
oneters and all kinds OF nautical In.
strument.
Capture OF q neutral vessel A. q
prize Is permitted when moro than
half Of the cargo OF the vessel ID
contraband. Measurement Of the ship
IL allowed by value. volume, weight
or the freight rate: and II tho war
vessel making the capture can calcu-
late the contrahand by any Of these
methods as exceeding the percsnt-
age allowed, the neutral vessel may
be seized as a prize. The provisions
relating to the destination OF tho YES
sell, whether to a neutral or an enc.
my's port. are involved In tho word
Ing but undoubtedly In time Of war
the captain OF war vessel would
simplify the code by taking anything
contrahand which might conceivAbly
be destined for the enemys use. War
mea sures take short cuts through de-
vtous ways of articles.
Mails while subject to indefinite
delay. are amply protected from seix~
ure by a convention adopted at the
second Hague conference. Tho two
articles covering this are as follows:
"Aticle /. The postal corres-
pondence Of neutrals or helligcrents.
whatever Its of1icia1 or private char
acter may be, found on tho high esas
on board neutral or enemys ship
is inviolable. II the ship u detained,
the correspondence Is forwarded By
the captor with tho least possible de<
lay. @s
Tho provisions Of tho preccdlng
paragraph do not apply, In case O4
violation or blockade. to correspon-
dence destined for, or preceding from.
u blockade port.
Article 2. Tho inviolAbility 0&
postal correspondence does not az
cmpt a neutral mail ship from The
laws and customs of maritime war -
to neutral merchant ships In Con0enA
Tho ship, however. may not ~ oeaSUA@a
cd. except when absolutely reoam4xss
and than only with - naucA 60
asAtien ditiaa - M