New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-03-12
Great BR|TA|N'S REPLY
TO AMERICAN NOTE
Expected to Be Forthcoming at
an Early Date.

| ton about the proposed Brltlsh plan
for cutting off German trade and the
effect the pain will have on neutral
| countries. .
The note is Identical with one pre-
scented at Paris as France and Great
Britain Jointly announced that they
held themselves at liberty to make
rcprisals against Germany.
An order-in-council, which outlines
the palm to be followed in attacking
Germanys trade, was signed yesterday
bv King George but the date of its
publication is still uncertain.
Early Reply Expected.
The British reply to the American
note suggesting that Great Britain al
low all foodstuffs to enter Germany in
return for Germany's abandonment Of
her submarine warfare on merchant
vessels and her policy Of mining the
high seas is expected to be forthcom-
ing at an early date.
While the contents of the reply are
naturally, not known, it is possible as
the result of inquiries in authorita-
tive quarters, to indicate some points
likely to carry weight with the British
government and to emphasize Sir Ed
ward Grey's reply.
Not Strong Enough.
There, is a strong feeling in Down
ing street that the "quid pro quo"
put forward in the American note
does not go far enough. Officials Of
the foreign Office point out that since
the opening of the war, Great Britain
has only once interfered with the
supply Of foodstuffs destined for Ger
many, and then only after the Ger
man government, by assuming con-
troll OF all foodstuffs, had abolished
the old distinction between the civil
and the military population.
High German authorities have re-
peatedly denied the British claim that
to cut off supplies of food from civil
ians is legitimate act of war. Great
Britain, 1t is insisted, never adopted
this view until the Germans by their
own act made it impossible any long
or to draw the line between non-com-
batants and armed forces. Further
more, it is added, Great Britain is
now invited by the United States to
forego a clear belligerent right on
the understanding that Germany will
abstain from - committing two-but
only two--of many crimes against
both law ana humanity.
fsSs'-'e 81 a Proposal Inadequate.
f. Authoritative spokesman of the
British view lay stress on the in
adequacy" of this proposal from two
standpoints. They ask, first, what
guarantee is forthcoming that Ger
many will keep to her agreement.
Supposing, they urge, that an UNDER
standing were reached on the mes
suggested by the United States would
the United States secure its strict OBJ
servance? They assert that Germany
has violated, so many compacts and
conventions in this war that BRUSH
statesmen are disinclined to trust her
unsupported word
Secondly, they urge that the two
offenses specified in the American
Notwithstanding warfare on mer-
chant vessels and the mining of the
high seas-are far from being the
only or even the worst offcnses OF
which Germany has been guilty. The
claim is set up that she has lombard
ed unfortified towns. dropped bombs
on places inhabited solely by civilians
and sunk both British and neutral
ships, as If that were the ordinary
legal way of disposing of them.
Great Britain, it is pointed out has
INDUCED in none of these practices,
and such mines as she has been COM
PEELED in self-defense to lay have been
laid in strict accordance with the
Hague conventions.
Arouscs Most Indignation.
The policy of the Germans which
arouses the most indignation among
the directors Of the British govern
ment is her continued alleged perse-
cution Of the Belgians, millions of
whom, it is declared, would be at
| this moment in state of semi-starva-
! ton but for American generosity and
assistance"
The view therefore held in the most
auth oritative quarter Of Great Brit
ain is that if there is to be any Dues
| ton of Germany's conforming to the
rules of civilized warfare with respect
to all points and not merely with re-
spect to the two of them which she
has been accused of departing from,
it must come up for discussion and
that Great Britain could enter into
no agreement on a subject which did
not include a radical change in Ger
many's present proceedings in Bel
GUM.
Finally, it is declared by the same
authority that these being the fac
tors that mainly influence British off,
cial opinion, it may be inferred that
the natural sympathy of the British
government with the American sug-
gestion, both on it's merits and from
tent be mitigated by other and wider
,ciI