Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-04
Decisions Are Open to
international Review
Ambassador W. H. Page to the secre-

Ambassador W. H. Page to the Secre-
American Embassy. London, July q,
1e15.-Following note, dated July 2S,
received from Sir Edward Grey this
First On the I'd of April your Ex-
cellency handed TO me a copy of COM
munication containing the criticisms or
measures we have been constrained to
take on account of the menace to peace
ful commerce resulting from the Ger
Sec I fully appreciate the friend
1y spirit and the candor whlch are
shown II the gnT tras asa that
may be able to convince your Excel
lency and also the Administration at
Washington. that the measures we have
announced are not only reasonable ana
necessary in themselves.
Third. l need scarcely dwell on the
obll ga tion incumbent upon the allies to
take every step in their power to
overcome their common enemy in view
of the shocking violation of the reoos,
warfare of which he has been guilty
A Measure in Retaliation
Fourth Your Excellency will remem-
ber that in my notes of the 18th and
18th of March I explained that the al
German ettempt TO stop all supplies of
every kind from leaving or entering
British or French ports by themselves
intercepting goods going to or from
Fifth. In the various notes which
nsye g reSeve66 iron y0pr 70 b1sTb the
blockade of the enemy ports is admit
ted, a right which has obviously no
10 belligerent TO cut of the sea-borne
exports and imports of his enemy; The
contention which 1 understand the
United States Government now puts for
ward is that If a belligerent is so cir
cumstanced that his commerce can pass
through tho adjacent neutral ports as
aef1x hrn rerh re In lie nyxFVN far-
ritory, his opponent has no right to
interfere and must restrict his measures
leave iosSSHe such avenues es" of Commerce ] stiii
open to his adversary. This Is con-
tention which his Majesty's Government
TO them unsustainable either in point
of law or upon principles of interna-
tional equity. They are unable to ad-
NIT that a belligerent violates any
funda mental principle OF International
law by applying a blockade In such
with foreign countries through neutral
Sixth The only question then which
arise in regard to the measures
resorted to for the purpose of carrying
out a blockade upon these extended
lines lines is Whether to- use use your EX. 5So
spirit and principles of the essence of
the rules of war" and we shall be con-
tent to apply this test to the action
necessitated Interference with neutral
commerce.
Action of L. 8. Cited
Seventh II may be noted in this con-
nection that at the time of the Civil
War the United States found them
a blockade of some 5000 miles of coast
line, military operation for which the
number of vessels available was at first
very small II was vital to the cause
Of the United States in that great strug-
gle that they should be able to cut off
the trade of the Southern States. The
re- n D1ta Wa
supplies from overseas and those sup
plies could not be obtained without ex-
them the To 6G9 o tS trade 5e
United States could only rely upon a
blockade. The difficulties confronting
the Federal Government were. in part
due to tie feet that neighborng neutral
territory afforded convenient centers
from which contraband could be intro
and from which blockade running could
be facilitated. Your Excellency will
no doubt remember how, in order to
meet this new difficulty, the old prin
ciples relating TO contraband and block
ade and the doctrine of continuous voy-
age was applied and enforced, under
territory were interrupted before they
reached the neutral ports from which
they were to be re-eXported.
Eighth. The difficulties which i'm
posed upon the United States the ne
cessity Of reshaping some OF the old
which the allies are now faced in deal
ing with the trade of their enemy. Ad-
Jacent to Germany are various neutral
countries which afford her convenient
opportunities for carrying on her trade
with foreign countries. Her own terri
tories are covered by a network of rail-
ways and waterways. which enable her
commerce to pass as conveniently
through ports in such neutral countries
as through her own.
COunterpoise to Enemy Evasion
Ninth. AS counterpoise to the free
dom with which one belligerent NAV
send his commerce across a neutral
country without compromising its neu-
trality. the other belligerent may fairly
claim to intercept such commerce be-
fore II has reached. or after IL has left,
the neutral State: provided of course,
that he can establish that the COM
merce with which he Interferes is the
commerce of his enemy.
Tenth. To the contention that such
action is not directly supported by
written authority It may be replied that
IT, is the business of writers on inter-
ma ational law to formulate existing rules
rather than to offer suggestions for
their adaptation to allied clrcum-
stances, and your EXcellency will re-
member the unmeasured terms in which