Evening star., 1914-12-30
GOOD WILL URGED
IN BRITISH REPLY
London Morning Newspapers
Comment at Length on U. S.
Governments Note.
AGREE PROTEST SHOULD
BE MET IN FRIENDLINESS
This Country Justified in Making
Complaint and Solution Is Not
Considered Impossible.

LONDON. December so. 80 a.m-All
the morning newspapers comment at
length on the American governments
note to Great Britain concerning the
treatment that is being accorded Amer
lean commerce by the British feet, and
agree that the American protest should
be met by the British government i'll
the same spirit Of friendly good will as
is shown by the note. Generally, how
ever, the newspapers are inclined to
await the actual text of the note be-
fore indu!ging in detailed criticism
of it.
In the meantime they point out how,
inevitably. serious difficulties arise
whenever questions of neutrality are
involved. Moreover, they are inclined
to dispute the theory that Great Britain
alone is responsible for the dislocation
of the worlds trade, arguing that even
had she remained neutral the fact that
4 number of other nations were IN
volved III the hostilities must have had
a detrimental effect on the worlds
commerce. In any case. they say. Great
Britain was not responsible for the
war. The Times, in an editorial, says:
comment Oh the Times.
THE note is dated December Il and,
although the idea may seem fanciful.
we cannot help imagining that it was
by no accident that the eve of the
great festival of peace and good will
was chosen for the dispatch of this
friendly communication from one of
the great branches of the English
speaking communities to the other.
If anything in the telegraphic sum-
mary OF the note as received here
should seem peremptory We feel as
sured that this appearance is entirely
due to the necessities of compression
and will vanish when the text of the
document is before us. We fully real
ize the inconvenience and the loss the
conduct of the war must occasion to
America and other neutrals. We also
are confident that when the note is
published We shall find that President
Wilson and his colleagues are not in
sensible to the imperious requirements
of our military situation.
Interpretation of the Note.
I'VE do not suppose this is dispute
Of our right as belligerents to practice
such interference with commerce between
neutrals as is ranifestly necessary for
the protection of our national safety
What they do question. as we gather it,
is whether. the action of our ships does
not in some cases exceeded that manifest
Proceeding to state that there are
many peculiar conditions arising from the
war which justify Great Britain's policy,
the editorial continues:
THE note deals throughout with un-
shaken faith in our sense of Justice. That
trust we shall assuredly do our best to
preserve. 1t is quite inconceivable that
two sensible peoples on the friendliest Of
terms with each other should not sue
ceed in devtsing modus vivendi in ac-
cordance with the general principles Of
International law which will at the same
time meet the peculiar facts and circum-
stances OF this unprecedented war.
Penalty Of Commanding Sea.
The Daily News in an editorial con-
siders disputes such as have arisen
between Great Britain and the United
States as one of the penalties which
accompany command of the sea-
English history" the editorial says,
teens with instances of such fric-
ton, and on one lamentable occasion
we allowed a similar dispute to lead
us into war with the United States
Happily, there is no need to fear any
such calamitous development today.
The characters of President Wilson
guarantee that no effort will be spared
to reduce the friction to a minimum
and to consider every problem with the
single-minded determination to find
an equitable solution"
The newspaper says it considers that
one consideration which should have
weight with the United States is that
the prize law which Great Britain is
now enforcing is very similar to the
American practice, and also that the
actual commerce under dispute is not
or great pecuniary value to America,
while America would greatly benefit
from shortening of the war through
the allies blockade. On the other
hand. 1t says the British government
should consider carefully the relative
values of certain of it's regulations and
OF american good will.
Faith in United States.
The Daily Chronicle, promising that
come amount of Inconvenience is in
separable from the present state of
worldwide war. and that it has been
increased by the novel methods of
maritime warfare inaugurated by Ger
many, assumes that the American gov
ernment has no intention of departing
from its much-prized neutrality SO far
as to infringe the belligerent rights of
England and her allies, and says:
The allies are quite legitimately SUD-
1ecting Germany and Austria Hungary
to species Of gigantic siege, and upon
the efficient maintenance of that siege
their success in the war must largely
depend. If individual American traders
wish to defy 1t in order to profit by the
famine YrtraS r,,lo