Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-12-05
u. S. REFUSES TO
BREAK UP TREATY
TEXT OF CABLEGRAM REGARDING
TREATMENT OF NEUTRAL YES.
SELLS is MADE KNOWN.
NO PIECEMEAL ADOPTION
United States and Germany Among
Powers Which Recorded Their Ac-
ceptance of Oeclaration-Orsat
Britain Has Not Acted.

Washington. - The decided stand
taken by the United States govern
ment in refusing to accept piecer..ai
| adoption of the principles Of the dec
laration of London rs a guide 20 COM
mercial restrictions to be imposed dur
ing the European war was made clear
Thursday at the state department
when the text Of a cablegram sen. 90
Ambassador Gerard at Berlin M oct.
ii last was made public.
Mr.. Gerard had communicated pre-
liminary notice that Germany intended
to protest to this government AGAINST
alleged violation Of the declaration bv
Great Britain and France. The Ger
man ambassador, Count Bernstorff,
called at the state department Wed
nesday to lodge the formal complaint.
and the text Of the reply. copies OF
which were sent to all American diDl0-
matte representatives abroad. wax
then made public. It follows:
please inform the German govern
ment that the departments suggestion
made to the belligerent countries for
adoption, for the sake Of uniformity OF
the declaration of London as a teupO-
rary code of naval warfare for use in
the present war, has been withdrawn
because of the unwillingness OF some
of the belligerents to adopt the dec
laration of London without modifica-
ton. The United States government
therefore will insist that it's rights and
duties and those of it's citizens in the
present war be defined by the present
rules of international law and the trea-
ties of the United States with the bel
ligerents Independently of the proyis-
Ions of the declaration, and this GOV
eminent will reserve the right to enter
a demand or protest in every case in
which the rights and duties mentioned
above and defined by existing rules
OF international law are violated or
their free exercise hindered by the au-
thorities Of the belligerent govern
ments."
The message was signed by Counsel
Tor Lansing, then acting secretary Of
state.
The declaration of London, framed
at an international conference in Lon
don, from which it drew its designa-
ton, was designed as a uniform naval
procedure for war times to be recog-
nized by all the powers participating
In the conference. 1t set out definite
declarations as to what articles should
be considered contraband of war and
defined the rights of neutral shipping.
The declaration was generally viewed
rs marking a great advance over the
practices the several ma
ions had applied during periods of
Delligerency with most unsatisfactory
results to neutral shipping. 1t has
never been ratified, however, by all Of
he powers which participated in the
The United States and Germany are
among the powers which have record
ID their acceptance OF the declaration.
while Great Britain has not taken this
lction. One article of the declaration
provides that it shall be binding as be-
ween belligerent powers only upon
hose by which it has been ratified.
Soon after the outbreak of the Euro
'ean war 1t became evident that while
hey recognized in a general way the
pirit of the declaration, some OF the
powers intended to insist
pon great modification OF important
etails, basing their action upon the
act that they had not formally ratified
he convention.
Since the declaration was in fact a
between the extreme
Jews of the several governments
Which participated In the conference,
high official at Washington pointed
ut that it would have been neither
ust nor fair, in the opinion of this gov
to consent to any modifica-
ion without the agreement of all par
les. On this theory the state depart
lent felt obliged to withdraw from It's
dherence to the declaration even be-
)re the German protest was received.