Gilpin observer., 1915-08-05
REJECT ALL US. CLAIMS
BRITISH NOTE CITES AMERICAN
ACTION IN CIVIL WAR.
EngIand's Replies to Last American
Note Denies That Orders In
Council Are Illegal.

Washington. - Great Britain's re-
plies to the latest American represen-
tations against interference with neu-
trail commerce reject entirely the con-
tention that the orders In council are
illegal and justify the British course
as being wholly within international
law ''Unsustainable either in point
of law or upon principles of interna-
tional policy" is the British reply to
the American protest against the
blockade of neutral ports, with an in
vitation to submit to international ar
bitration any cases in which the
United States is dissatisfied with the
action of British prize courts.
Great Britain's reply, embodied in
two notes, one supplemental, was
made public here Tuesday night and
in London simultaneously by agree
ment between the two governments.
With the notes was made public also
the correspondence over the American
steamer Neches, seized by the British
while en- route from Rotterdam to the
United States with goods of German
origin. All the correspondence aggre-
gates 1000 words.
Changed conditions OF warfare, the
British note contends. require a new
application of the principles of inter-
national law. The advent of the sub
marine, the airship and the alleged
atrocities by German troops in Bel
gium are cited as justification for the
excise of extreme measures.
The blockade is justified on the con.
tention that the universally recognized
fundamental principle of a blockade
is that a belligerent is entitled to cut
off "by effective means the sea-borne
commerce of his enemy"
The note reiterates that Great Bri-
tain will continue to apply the orders
complained Of, although not without
every effort to avoid embarrassment
to neutrals and observes that the
American statistics show that any loss
in trade with Germany and Austria
has been more than overbalanced by
the increase of other Industrial activ-
tiles due to the war.
In the general reply to the Amer
ican representations against the or
ders in council, Sir Edward Grey, the
foreign minister. addressing Ambassa-
dor Page. begins by expressing the
hope that he may be able to convince
the administration in Washington
that the measures we have an
nounced are not only reasonable and
necessary In themselves, but consti-
tute no more than an adaptation OF
the old principles of blockade to the
peculiar circumstances with which we
are confronted"
Il need scarcely dwell" wrote Sir
Edward, ION the obligations incum-
bent upon the allies to take every step
in their power to overcome their COM
mon enemy In view of the shocking
violation Of the recognized rules and
principles of civilized warfare of
which he has been guilty during the
present struggle"
Sir Edward then refers to atrocities
In Belgium, poisoning of wells in Ger
man Southwest Africa, use of poison
GUS gases against the allied troops in
Flanders, and finally the sinking of
the Lusitania. to show "how indispen-
sable II is that we should leave un..
used no justifiable method of defend,
ing ourselves"
Sir Edward Grey then refers to the
American Civil War blockade of 5000
miles OF coast with a small number OF
vessels. and recalls how the United
States finally took recourse to block
aiding ''neighboring neutral territory
which afforded convenient centers
from which contraband could be intro
duced into confederate territory and
from which blockade running could be
facilitated"
The note then refers to the case of
the British ship Springbok. seized by
United States cruisers during the
Civil War while bound for the British
West Indies. because her cargo it was
charged, was to be transshipped to the
confederate states. The Supreme
Court of the United States sustained
the seizure against the condemnation
of group of prominent international
lawyers.