The Washington herald., 1914-10-27
An international Complication.

Great Britain's manifest desire that her naval au-
thorties shall observe with the exactitude the
maritime rights of the United States, as a neutral
nation, and her eagerness to make amends where
violation OF such rights are shown have gone far
remove the danger of complication resulting from
the seizure of American trade steamers which at one
time appeared threatening Important questions re-
gardng shipping yet remain to be definitely settled,
but there little to doubt that an amicable
adjustment will be reached at an early date.
The seizure of the American tank steamer
Brndilla by British cruiser four or FIVE miles out
sea from New York City especially seemed to in
volve serious considerations. The facts in the
appear to be as follows: The Brindia was formerly
German ship, called the Washington, but she was
sold, apparently in a genuine and bonafde manner,
to the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, by the
Redermann Line in September. We understand that
the Reidermann Line, although German corpora
ton, was really a subsidiary of the Standard Oil
Company; this point however is not essential There
is no dispute we understand it, that the ship has
been since last September in name and in reality an
American ship. The ship recently cleared from the
port of New York with a cargo of Illuminating OIL
bound for Egypt. Her cargo was not contraband of
war, neither is there any serious doubt that she
actually bound for the port in her clearance papers
The sole question involved in her capture to
be that of the legality of her transfer from the Ger
man to the American flag month ago The British
government is acting in accord with the English stand
taken in what was known as the Declaration of Lon
don which is in substance that beligerent country
is not called upon to recognize the transfer to
neutral flag of merchant vessel of an enemy while
hostities in progress unless it is made absolutely
clear that the transfer of genuine character and
intended to prevent the seizure of the merchant
sci by belligerent power.
We can well understand the position in which
England is put at the present time. She is endeavor
ing, very naturally to stop food supplies and great
of material that is not really contraband of
from entering Germany at all. She desires TO
lock up Germany and, if possible starve the German
people into submission. She has difficulty in doing
this, however, long as Germany is enabled to
carry on trade with foreign countries through a
neghboring neutral nation, such Holland Hence,
in practice England finds it necessary to interfere
with the foreign trade of Holland as much as she
really dares to- Her policy is although of course
she does not openly it, to break up great
deal of absolutely neutral trade This is all very well
for England, but how is it for the neutral nations?
1t is clear that the point is concerning which
much more definite adjustment must be made than
has been made in the past We think reasonable
people generally will admit that it is perfectly proper
that the merchant vessel of a belligerent country
should not be allowed to raise the flag of neutral
country merely in order to avoid capture In prac-
tice, however, this prohibition has a tendency to
extend itself to absolute interdict upon the gen.
era right of purchase exercised by the citizens of
neutral nation, as we'll as to neutral commerce in
general The merchant ships of a beligerent nation
may be offered by their in absolute good faith
to bonade buyers in neutral port bargain prices
but if the English theory, it is actually practced
is allowed to hold, no transfer whatever of the mer-
chant vessels of belligerent take place.
This involves, as it seems to US, dangerous
with the rights of neutrals There must
be some way of settling in advance the genuneness
Of transfers of ships such times neutral nations
may, find themselves seriously involved Our own
relations with England just are perfectly cordial
and must continue But England can hardly take
the position of maintaining that American merchants
shall not be allowed to buy German ships when these
are offered below cost at bonafde sale, or that the
trade of the United States with neutral nations must