Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-02-05
Neutral Rights at Sea.

tl0nS should arse between the IN
tied States and the belligerent
2 powers; but the facts regarding
9 the issue that we are now conSid-
: ering with Great Britain are sim
pie and easily understood, says an
: exchange.
Great Britain virtually COM
: mands the sea throughout the
: world. 1t has obtained its sup
, remacy by long continued and per-
J sistent adherence to the policy, car.
ried out at enormous expense, of
) making its navy more than twice
: as powerful as that of any other
nation. In following that policy
it has had in mind the possible out
break of such a conflict as that in
which it is now engaged-that is,
a war with other maritime and
commercial countries. Its fore
sight has given it a great advant-
age, which it naturally wishes to
use to the utmost.
It's strategy has two objects: to
assist its allies on land by means
of it's army, and to weaken the
enemy by cutting off supplies of
such articles as he needs and does
not produce, or produces only in
insufficient quantity. The list in.
cludes rubber for military auto.
mobiles, copper for ammunition
and other things, and leather for
the soldiers shoes, new pair of
which must be issued to every in
fantryman about once a month.
The United States is the great
source of supply for many of these
things, and like all other neutral
nations, has the right to sell them
or anything else, whether contra
band or not, to a belligerent. In
the case of contraband, the ship
per runs the risk of losing his ven.
ture; and neither he nor the Unit
ed States has any ground of com
plaint if the opposing belligerent
seizes the cargo. But when we
trade with a neutral nation the
case is different. To neutrals we
have the right to sell ANYTHING,
| whether c0ntraband or NOS, with
out interference from anyone.
1t happens, however, that Hol-
land, Denmark, Sweden, Norway,
and Italy, all neutral governments,
are SO situated that they can trade
with Germany and Austria without
risk of interference from Great
Britain. Since we have the right
to trade with them, it follows
that, unless some power intervenes,
we can send contraband goods
without hi6drance to any port on
the North Sea, or to the Mediter-
ranean, and that the consignee of
the goods can send them into Ger.
many.
But at that point Great Britain
does intervene. 1t claims the
right to search vessels that are
carrying cargoes to countries able
trade with its enemy, and if the
cargo is one that cannot be tho
roughly examined at sea, to take
the vessel to a British port, and
there discharge its cargo for exam
ination.
The United States government
does not dispute the right ofsearch,
but it complains that the exercise
of it, which is at best a hardship
to a neutral country, has )een
needlessly severe in method. 1t
is a method that makes delay,
causes expense, and discourages
and impedes our commerce.
That is the chief ground of the
friendly remonstrance that our
government sent to the govern
ment of Great Britain. Sir Ed
ward Grey's reply is most friend
ly. 1t admits the soundness of
our position and the justice of our
complaint, but pleads the necessi
ty of the case, and promises only
that the British government will
not 90 beyond its rights, and that
it will exercise those rights with
as careful a regard for American
interests as is consistent with its
own security.
The incident will be useful in
several ways. Our own govern
ment will be more careful about
allowing suspicious cargoes to clear
from our ports, and Great Britain
will try harder to keep the neu-
tral countries of Europe from re-
contraband to Germany.
The chief character in The Exploits
of Elaine is Craig Kennedy. the most