The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-29
ENGLAND MUST STOP INTERFERENCE WITH
 AMERICAN COMMERCE
cContinued from Page one,

oonsuls in this country which followed promises of the British foreign office | that the allied fleets consequentiy would cease detentions of these car goes. The situation. however is de- 1 scribed as having hardly improved aft 1 CT these concessions.
 Reference is made in the note to the l high principles of equity which have actuated Great Britain in her champion ship in the past of the freedom of the | seas to neutral commerce., and the hope | is expressed that even though a bell | lgerent herself, she will realize the ] seriousness to the neutral of continued 1 interference.
 Reserving until some further date the discussion of those articles which Great 1 Britain has taken from the generally accepted lists of noncontra band and
 placed on the list of absolute and con
 ditional contraband, the American gov ernment declares that the British fleets | have been regarding absolute and con- ditional contraband as in the same class, whereas international law defines abso- | lute contraband as consisting of those
 articles intended directly for the use of an army or navy, and conditional con l traband, those products susceptible of
 use by armed forces. but whose destna- tion must be the determining factor in detentions.
 /, The American note, mentioning here | that foodstuffs are conditional contra 1 band since they may be destined for the
 use of civil population as well as an
 army, says the United States is in en- | tire agreement with the doctrine ex-
 pressed by Lord Salisbury. British for eign secretary, in his correspondence
 with the Washington government con- corning the shipment of foodstuffs to | the Transvaal during the Boer war in South Africa. Lord Salisbury wrote then:
 "Foodstuffs, with a hostile destination, can be considered contraband of war only if they are supplies for the enemy's force It is not sufficient that they are
 capable of being so used; it must be
 shown that this was in fact their destina-
 ton at the time of seizure''
 Far-Reaching Declaration
 This is perhaps the most far-reaching declaration of the American note, since
 if it were accepted by Great Britain,
 American trade with Germany and Aus
 tria. virtually at a standstill now, would | be resumed, affecting the prices of
 wheat, flour, live stock and the variety
 of products which go to make up food stuffs.'
 | Taking up the question of detentions of American ships at sea. the Washing | tolerate undue delays in examining them
 or the conveying of such ships to Brit
 ish ports for detailed examinations. It
 argues that proof of hostile destination
 of the cargo must be in evidence at the
 time of search at sea. The belligerent right to search, the note adds. is fully
 recognized, but it cannot be extended to the point of diverting American ships
 into belligerent ports merely on suspi- | cion.
 l The United States asserts, moreover | that it views with growing concern the | detention of scores of American cargoes
 consigned from this country to neutral ports, contending that it should be the
 duty of the belligerent to protect neutral commerce and prevent innocent mer- chants from suffering.
 Conspicuous Complaints | One of the most conspicuous com | plaints cited in the note is against the
 treatment by Great Britain of American cargoes of copper. It is charged that
 Great Britain is not according the same treatment to American trade in copper i with the Scandinavian countries as to | commerce in this product between the l United States and Italy under the same conditions of shipment. Even though the | Italian government has proclaimed an embargo on the exportation of copper
 from Italy to belligerent countries simi-
 lar to the embargo in force in Norway, Denmark and Sweden. the consignments
 of copper to Italy from the United States are said to be held up while those to the Scandinavian countries are not mo- | tested.
 l The American government further records it's position on consignments l shipped ito order" or no specific con. signee, stating that this circumstance alone ia not sufficient on which to hold American cargoes and is of itself not suspicious. This view has been ex- pressed by the supreme court of the United States, but Great Britain an nounced recently that cargoes shipped Ito order" would be considered "sus- | pect." Today's note points out that to hold consignments marked Ito order
 proof must be presontaa whom the de-