New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-20
u. 5. WILL INSIST
ALLIES BLOCKADE
DOESN'T EXIST
President and Cabinet in
Long Discussion of New
Order i'm Council.
MODIFYING OF POLICY
REGARDED UNLIKELY
British Have Not Yielded to
Single Contention of This
Country During War.

FROM Tho Tribun, Bureau
Washington, March 10 The Presi-
dent and his Cabinet to-day discussed
at great length the practical operation
Of the British Order in Council on
American overseas commerce, along
with its probable effects on the rev.
enucs of the United States by reason
OF the elimination Of all trade with
Germany. The Cabinet also discussed
broadly the form of the representations
i'm which the United States will urge
on the Allies modification. OF their in
tcnton TO enforce what is accepted IN
all quarters as tantamount TO block
AIDE Of their principal enemy, in so far
~ IL affects legitimate commerce be-
1 tween neutrals.
The American government Is deter
mined that acceptance without protest
of some Of the enunCiations of Great
. Britain and France would. when the
war is ended and settlSment of the obi
cations and damages incurred by the
belligercnts on the neutrals is in or
/ der, be advanced by the defendants in
the international tribunals as proof
/ that the acts of the nations rs bel
| liCcrpnts had been permitted 10 go UNI
questioned by the United states. The
United Stacs will insist that the alb
sence Of a specific declaration Of a
| blockade can be interpreted in but one
way. and that is that no blockade has
been created.
Holds NHlimitation Necessary.
A feature Of the Order in Council
to which attention has been called by
high officials of the State Department
already is that the word blockade
does not appear in that document.
This is not the only reason for the po-
sition which the United states IS eX-
pectcd TO take that the ancient doc
trinc that a blockade to be recognized
must be effectively maintained enters
into the objections OF this government
TO accepting the Order in Council un-
oucstioninCly. The delimltatiOn of
some sort Of n blockaded zone is an
other point which the administration
officials regard az mandatory If neu-
trails arc 10 be fully protected IN all
their rights.
The United States will argue that
there can be no legal blockade OF the
coasts of neutral countries contiguous
70 the belligerents under any clrcum-
stances. and that commerce between
the United States and the neutrals,
especially in non-contraband articles,
should be relieved of any threat OF IN
terruption. regardless Of possible ultl-
mate enemy destination.
A more tenuous argument VIII pre-
sent the contention that non-contra-
band cargoes, even when enemy-bound,
cannot be legally detained. This in
cludes American shipments of cotton
for Germany.
Creation Of Preccdents.
The impression is gaining ground In
Washington that the principal rune.
ton of the diplomatic department OF
the administration just now Is directed
more toward the creation OF an array
Of precedents of non-acceptancc OF the
contentious Of the belligerents for use
in future international conventions
than TO the end of efecting any radical
changes in the announced intentions
and policies of the beligerent nations
which now hold the upper hand on the
high seas. 1t is regarded as highly
unlikely that Great Britain or France
will WELD to the arguments OF the |
United States and modify their pol |
icies.
Since the first published interchange
Of notes on the subject of the rights
Of neutrals in overseas commerce, be
ginning with the American note of De
cember %, 1914. Great Britain has not
yielded 10 single contention advanced
by the United States.
in the Cabinets practical discussion
Of the effect Of the Order in Council
il was developed that tho actual losses
TO the United States through the total
prohibition Of trade with Germany
would approx innate 81 100000 a month
in totals of imports and exports. The
importations of German-made goods TO
the United States amount to about S10,-
100000. American exports to Germany
amount to something like S5,OOO,OOO,
and this sum includes cotton exports
The revenue loss TO the United States
is practically 30 per cent of the import
values.
The Austrian Ambassador. DR..
Dumba. and the minister from the
Netherlands; Chevaler van Rappard,
discussed the British Order in Council
with Counsellor Lansing at the state
Department to-day, both seeking light
as to the probable attitude 81 the
Washington government.
The Netherlands Minister IS keeping
his government Informed as TO the
,iews Of the United States. as fiol-
lands reply to the British order, which /
YilI be drawn up at The Hague, will be
based TO some extent on the position
taken bv Washington officials, although
Joint action with the United States is
not contemplated. lie also acquainted