The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-08-13
CONTRABAND, AND RIGHTS
OF NEUTRAIS.

picion that they may be used in wal
o" may carry men returning to Europe
for military service turn attention OF
many people in this country from ac-
ttal hospilities to the rights Of neutrals.
The material interest Of the United
States is in the maintenance of trade
and communication. and American bust
ness men are asking under what rules
they must do business abroad.
Under international law bellger
ent has the right to confiscate ship
flying an enemy's flag or neutral
ship carrying cargo more than half
of which Is contraband. The ship must
be taken to a prize court for adjudi-
cation; 1t cannot be destroyed unless
the conveying of II would endanger
the safety of the 'warship or jeopardize
the success of the operation upon
which the latter is engaged Officers
and men actually enrolled in an enc
my's force may be taken from a neu-
trail ship by a belligerent, which must
then allow the ship to proceed on its
way According to strick Interpretation
of international law, reservists return
ing to enter an army but not ALREADY
incorporated In 1t may not be captured
but a belligerent would probably de-
tain them as enrolled soldiers and take
the chance of an adverse judgement
from The Hague or some other tribunal.
The right to search ships for contra
band men or goods is now established
Many of the trans Atlantic liners are
enrolled as auxiliares of beligerent
navies and are to be called into service
as warshps. Under the Presidents
proclamation. this fact alone may render
them subject to treatment as beliger-
ents. In case any change Is made in
them, designed to equip them for war
while they are In American ports, they
must be treated as belligerents and
compelled to depart within twenty four
hours.
A ticklish question has been raised
by the calling into service of many
foreign citizens and residents OF the
United States who are enrolled In
the reserves of their native countries
The Presidents proclamation forbids
American citizens to enlist or enter
the service of belligerents, to hire or
retain another person for that purpose
or to hire or retain a person to go be-
yond the limits of the United States
for the purpose OF enlistment. The
zens or subjects of beligerents trans
aboard a belligerent's war vessel In an
American port to enlist In the service of
Its sovereign. A large number of for
eign- born residents of this country re p.
main subject to call into the military
service of their native country, though
a large proportion of them have been
af tnta
to become citizens. Would not neutral
ity be violated by permitting any of
these people to go abroad for the pur-
pose of taking part in the war? II So
vast majority of the men now pre-
pairing to cross the Atlantic contemplate
violation of our neutrality laws and a
warship of any one of the belligerents
could hold up any liner and take as
prisoners of war those passengers who
were returning to Europe to fight.
Strict observance of neutrality will
thus compel our Government practi-
cally to paralyze our transatlantic
steamship service by expelling all lin
ers which are naval auxiliares. and to
destroy a very large part OF the east
bound traffic by OBTAINING those Amer
lean citizens who wish to go abroad
eign built ships owned by Americans
to American register without restric-
ton enables Americans to buy foreign
liners which are subject to expulsion
from American ports and which would
by hostile cruisers.
Contraband of war has been more
clearly defined OF late years and there
t. a.~Ao
which can never be contrabanded, tho
the definition is still elastic. Cargoes
of ships are divided roughly into three
ciasses-absolute contraband. condition
al contraband and n-contraband Alb
solute contraband includes war material
of all kinds and such other articles
not on the non eontraband list as a
belligerent classes as contraband by no.
tice to neutrals.
The rule governing conditional CON
traband is of particular interest on the
Pacific coast As laid down by article
30 of the London declaration, 1t is as
follows:
Conditional contraband Is not LA
BILE to capture except when found on
board vessel bound for territory
belonging to or occupied by an enc
my oT LOT the armed forces OF the
enemy, and when II Is not TO be
discharged at an intervening neutral
port. The ships papers are con-
elusive proof both as TO the voyage
In which the vessel is engaged and
as to the port of discharge of the
goods, unless she Is found clearly
out of the course indicated by her
papers and unable to give adequate
reasons to justify such deviation
Conditional contraband may without
notice and treated as contraband, sub
Ject to the above rule. Under this
head comes foodstuffs, of which Port
land exports grain. fruit fish, meat
and may export dairy products: for
age. which Portland also exports; cloth
Ing. fabrics for clothing. boots and
shoes: gold and silver, paper money;
vehicles of all kinds available for use
In war; vessels and boats; railway
telegraph and telephone material: bal
looms. flying machines and their parts;
fuel and lubricants; powder and explos-