Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-10-12
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Salem, October 9, 1914.

Salem, October 9, 1914
Editor Capital journal:
An editorial in Thursdays paper in
reply to a communication from me re-
garding the rights of belligerents in
searching neutral ships, insists that my
article entirely "misses the whole meat
of the matter, and states the meat of
the matter to be that Great Britain had
searched the mails OF a Holland YES
sci. lnasmuch as my article was in
reply to two editorials and in the first
way of mails being searched, but the
statement was made that Great Britain
should remember that the War of 1872
was over "the right of search, and
should take warning thereby, | hardly
think | missed the "meat Of the mat
ter by quoting international law re-
gardng the Fright of search. -
However, since the editor seems to
have shifted his ground from the right
of search to the particular question of
scar ming the mails and says very con
fidently that "neither England nor any
other country will be allowed to swipe
Uncle Sam S mails under any pretense
whatever" | must still claim that such
language is somewhat Incorporate.
Does The journal claim that the
sending of contraband of war through
the mails is any less a violation Of neu.
trality than the sending Of the same by
express or freight? The question would
seem to answer itself. IL should be
remembered that the parcel post is a
part Of the mail service, and that sev.
eral eastern firms have sent cOnsign-
ments of over ton in weight through
the mail by dividing it up into proper
parcels. If some dealer in war sup.
plies should send a ton or more Of con.
traband to Germany by U. S. mails,
does The Journal hold that England
would have no right to cOnfiscate same
after it had left American territory
Such a contention does not seem a rea-
sOnaOle one, when we remember that
there is not the slightest doubt Great
Britain would have a perfect right to
cOnfiscate same if sent by American
express aboard the same ship.
While ! am not aware that any such
NhoN mas dlloNil, Ntl II 10 IuNblDlt SuCU
a case may arise For that reason il
seems to me that The journal is some.
what too positive and bellgerent in
tone when it says that "no country
will be allowed to swipe Uncle Sam 5
mails under any prHtense whatever.
1t would all depend upon whether the
so'called "pretense was fair and
legitimate "reason or not.
However, as | remarked in my pre-.
yious letter, no difficulty has yet oc.
CURED in regard to the searching Of
American vessels, though numbers OF
them have been searched. Therefore
It would seem to be the part Of wisdom
and the spirit Of neutrality to refrain
from belicose language where no rea.
son has been given for same, to keep
our maginatons from running away
with MS, and to cross bridges when we
come to them and not before.
A. DAVIES FLEET.
Z. S,-Why did not The journal pub.
lish the statement issued ON Thursday
by the Belgian legation to the American
public, giving Belgiums side Of the
ease in regard to the German invasion
II was published by The journal = con.
temporaries, Was II because the state.
mcnt was such terrible Indictment Of
Germany before the bar Of public opin-
ion' Or was it simply because The
journal was scOoped. -