The Ely miner., 1915-08-06
UPHOLOS
BLOCKADE ORDER
REJECTS CONTENTION THAT OR.
DERs-IN.coUNciL ARE LILLE
GAL-JUsTIFIEs COURSE.
CONTENTION UNSUSTAINABLE
Sir Edward Grey Asserts His Gov.
ernment Is Unable to Accept
Claims Put Forward by U. S.
Refers to Atrocities in Belgium.


Washington, Aug. 5.-Great Britain
eplies to the latest American repre-
sentations against interferences with
neutral commerce reject entirely the
contention that the orders-in-c council
are illegal and justify the British
course as being wholly within interna.
tional law.
"Unsustainable either in point of
law or upon principles of internation-
al equity" is the British reply to the
American protest against the block
ade of neutral ports, with an invita-
tion to submit to international arbi-
tration 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 and in London sim
ultaneously by agreement between the
two governments. With the notes
was made public also the correspond
ence over the American steamer
Neches, seized by the British while
en- route from Rotterdam to the Unit
ed States with goods of German orig
in. All the correspondence aggre-
sates 1000 words.
Changed Conditions of Warfare
Changed conditions of warfare, the
British note contends, require a new
of the principles of inter-
national law. The advent Of the sub
marine, the airship and the alleged
by German troops in Bel
gium are cited as justification for the
exercise of extreme measures. The
blockade is justified on the conten-
tion that the universally recognized
principle of a blockade
Is that belligerent is entitled to
cut off by effective means the sea-
borne commerce of his enemy"
The note reiterates that Great Brit
ain will continue to apply. the orders
of, although not without
every effort to avoid embarrassment
20 neutrals, and observe that the
American statistics show that any
oss in trade with Germany and Aus
ria has been more than overbalanced
by the increase of other industrial
activities due to the war
Adaptation of Old Principles.
In the general reply to the Ameri-
IAN representations against the or
Sir Edward Grey, the
oreign minister, addressing Ambas-
'ador Page, begins by expressing the,
lope that he may be able to convincei
he administration in Washington
that the measures we have announc-,
ID are not only reasonable and neces-
AIRY in themselves, but constitute no
more than an adaptation of the old;
principles of blockade to the peculiar,
circumstances with which we are con-
II need scarcely DWELL wrote Sir,
edward, ION the obligations incum-,
'ent upon the allies to take every
tep in their power to overcome their,
ommon enemy in view of the shock.
ng violation of the recognized rules
nd principles of civilized warfare OF
which he has been guilty during the
resent struggle"
Sir Edward then refers to atroci-
les in Belgium, poisoning Of wells
n German Southwest Africa, use Of |
oisonous gases against the allied
roops in Flanders and finally the
mixing of the Lusitania, to show
how indispensable it is that we |
hould leave unused no justifiable |
lethod of defending ourselves"
Contention UnsustainabIe.
Coming down to the question of |
he allied blockade of neutral ports, |
he note continues:
in the various notes which / have |
eceived from your excellency the |
light of a belligerent to establish a
lockade of the enemy ports is ad-
litted, right which has obviously |
o value save in so far as it gives
over to belligerent to cut off the
ea-borne exports of his enemy. The
which / understand the |
United States government now puts
orward is that IL a belligerent is so
that his commerce can
ass through adjacent neutral ports
S easily as through ports in his own
erritory, his opponent has no right
0 interfere and must restrict his
measures Of blockade in such a man
er as to leave such avenues of COM
nerce still open to his adversary.
his is a contention which His Maj
sty's government feel unable to ac-
ept and which seems to them unsus-
ainable either in point of law or upon
rinciples of International equity"