The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-24
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE.

Positive and Negative Reprisals- Another division of reprisals, made by writers on public law, is into positive and negative. or, as termed by some VT active and passive. Reprisals are 4Sative when state refuses to fulfil a perfect obligation which 1t has contracted or to permit another nation to enjoy a right which 1t claims. They are positive when they consist in seiz- ing the persons and effects belonging to the other nation in order to .ob-| tain satisfaction. The same rule applies to both of these classes. that is, neith- CT should be resorted to except where the cause is manifestly just and after all nilder means have pro-red anef- fectuaL Negative reprisals. however. an immediate rupture than those of a. positive character. Nations are more ready to repel force than to employ it. SEIZURE
 Seizure is a general term applica-
 ble to the forcibIe taking of the per- sons or property of others. and is ap- piled alike to reprisals and be11igerent captures nade in war. But in its
 more restricted sense. as applied to measures taken via facta. or forcible means of settling international disputes the term is limited to taking forcible possession of the thing in dispute or of the persons by whom the offence is committed. The seizure of the thing in controversy is generally re- garded as the preliminary step toward the commencement of war. It is. nevertheless, neither an actual nor a formal declaration of hostilities. and 1 there is. therefore, still a possibility of settlement of the dispute before en- tering into state Of solemn and pub 1 lie war.
 l ESEBARGOES.
 l An embargo is a species Of rsprisal upon the property of the offending na- I ton found within the territory of the l injured state by prohibiting the de- parture of vessels or the removal of goods. An embargo may or may not | be followed by the sequestratfon of the goods and property detained If waE l follows. it is said to have a good ret I roactfve effect, and the detained goods are considered as the property of the enemies taken in war. But if the difficulty which led to the embargo j is amicabIy arranged they are released upon the terms which the parties may I stipulate in such arrangement. In maritime embargoes persons. as well l as goods are usually seized and re- I tained. to be subsequent1y released ,. or treated as prisoners of war accord 1 ing as the embargo results in peace or solemn war. An embargo is more usually resorteds to in contemplation I of hostilities than; as a mode, of set I ting disputes Between states. IL IS therefore, cIassed by Phi1lixnore as a measure of redress. midway between reprisals and war.
 LEADING TO WAR
 lacs, as already remarked, not be> by War.-The resort tosreprisals. seiz- ures or enJbargoes, or forefble means I of redress between nations, may as sume the character of war in case they fail to produce the satisfaction de- I manded of the offending state. SucL acts, as alreday remarked, not be- I ing positive acts of war, the effects 1 seized are not usually condemned til I the question of peace or war is finally decided. If peace should be contin-
 ued they are restored, but if war for
 lows. they are confscated.