Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-06
British Order in Council
Making Cotton Contraband
AssaiIed by Judge BIount

Great Britain was vigorously assail-
ed for declaring cotton contraband OF
war by Judge James H. Blount of this
city, general counsel Of the National
Defense League, in his address on
Neutrality and Preparedness" He
charged that this course was in direct
violation of the Declaration of London.
He said this could not have happened
but for this nations present inability
to take any prompt aggressive action
to resent violation of our rights.
Judge Blount was volunteer In the
war with Spain and in the Philippine
instruction, and later was a judge of
the court of first instance in the Philip
pine Islands for number of years.
Passing briefly over Germany's viola
ton of American rights in Staying
American citizens on the high seas, he
devoted himself principally to demon
strating that the recent British order
in council making cotton contraband is
a fragrant violation of our rights as
neutrals and equivalent to the conf1sca-
ton of large part of the American
to Germany and Austria Hungary.
Nation "Pitifully Unprepared."
He said. in part:
speaking from a military standpoint,
we are pitifully unprepared at the
present time to make our rights re-
spected by any of the nations now at
war which may see fit to disregard
them. The fact that such state of af-
fairs ought not to continue is equally
obvious.
Between the amiable nonsense of
Mr.. Bryan and the warwhoops Of Col.
Roosevelt, the administration will 40
doubt take a middle course in its forth
a n
If Germany has lain in wait on the
high seas and slain our citizens in cold
blood without warning, Great Britain
has taken control of our commerce on
the high seas as absolutely as If we
were a colony of hers having no voice
in her councils.
THE case against Germany needs no
elaboration. Let US consider for a mo-
ment the case against Great Britain.
I'VE have been so angry with Ger
many about the destruction of life, so
near the verge of war with her more
than once, that we have not much con-
disregard of our rights of mere prop
erty.
But now that Germany has about de-
cided to stop numbering Americans on
the high seas-which she never would
have dared to do had she not known
how utterly unprepared we were to
prevent tive now have time to con-
slider some Of the economic aspects of
this war and how England has coolly
forbidden US to trade with Germany
and Austria Hungary. daring to do SO
partly because she also was aware of
our unpreparedness for war. and partly
because she believed the sympathies Of
the great body Of our people to be
with the allies.
Dodging for Many Months.
after much lodging for many
months, England has at last come out
in the open in her dealings with u.s.
and has, by the recent order in coun-
Gil. made cotton absolute contraband.
Cotton is a billion-dollar crop and
our principal article of export. Here
tofore England has always taken
about one-third of our cotton exports
each year and Germany and Austria
another third. England now says we
shall not sell our cotton to Germany
or Austria Hungary.
IT am aware of the grim current Jest
that there Is no international law except
that might makes right. Speaking seri-
ously and practically, that comes very
tt