The Washington times., 1915-08-04
EngIand's Defense Of Orders in
Council Admittedly Strong
and Embarrassing"
LANSING TO REDRAFT NOTE
viii Emphasize Fact That Some
Practices Upheld by London
Have Been OutlaWed.

Confronted by the fact that Great
Britain, on the basis Of the blockade
and contraband procedure Of the
United States in the civil war, has
made out a strong defense Of her inter-
fcrences with American trade In the
present war. Secretary Of State Lansing
today plunged into the task Of COM
pletely redrafting the tentative re-
joinder.
That the task is, an embarra ssing one.
officials Of the State Department Sc
cretly admit. At the same time. there
10 every indication that the United
eon4es will vigorously combat the ar
guments put forth by Great Britain.
and will lay particular emphasis on
the fact that the International tribunal
which ultimately passed on the civil
war cases outlawed some Of the prac-
tices which the United States had
thought were legal and In defense of
which Great Britain now argues.
Consignments Released.
Although he was without any con-
frrnation of the report, Secretary
Lansing today manifested much in
tersst in a press dispatch from Lon
don which stated that the British
foreign office was preparing still an
other note to the United States which
would deal specifically with the ques-
tion Of cotton cargoes.
He was likewise interested in tho
unconhrmed report that es an out
come of the specific protest Of the
OF the American steamer Neches.
bound from Rotterdam to New York,
the British prize court had released
several Of the consignments In the
in Belgium and had turned them over
to their American owners.
Uphold Belligerent Rights.
Examination Of the British notes
today by State Department officials
Impressed them particularly with the
fact that in the last analysis Ger
many and Great Britain each insists
upon the right TO continue her depre-
long as Great Britain continues her
starvation policy against Germany.
or Germany continues her submarine
warfare against Great Britain.
Both nations have served notice on
the United States that This country g
interests cannot stand in the way Of
tho retaliatory measures OF the bel
liRerents against one another.
Three notes from Great Britain bear
ing on the blockade and the Neches case
sideration-are before officials OF the
Wilson Administration today. and 1t is
this Governments next play. England
employed about 1000 words in replying
to various American protests. but her
attitude regarding both the protests OF
diplomats and Of importers and shippers
was summed UP In seven words. as fol-
lows:
measures"
Silent On Cotton.
Not only that. but the United States
IL reminded that this country set quite
a blockade precedent back In the six
ties when the Washington Government
shut off the Confederate ports. The
British blockade Is further defended on
the ground that 1t is a recognized prin-
ciple that q belligerent Is entitled by
blockade to cut of by effective means
the seaborne commerce Of his enemy"
Germany $ geographical position. 1t
was asserted. naturally extends the
blockade to certain entry ports OF neu-
trail countries.
Great Britain made no specific ref
erence to the cotton situation. which Is
one Of extreme Importance In the
minds Of shippers Of this country. 1t
IL understood that another note Is to
come with reference to whatever incon-
venience has been caused or may be
caused the oversee cotton trade.
Shippers and legislators Of the South
ern States are again becoming exer-
cised over the cotton outlook as the
new crop becomes ready for market
and great pressure is to be brought on
the Administration to bring about re-
lief for neutral shipping at 1t affects
this staple.
Sir Edward Grey. the British foreign
minister. said his idea was to convince
American Ambassador Page. with
whom. nominally, he was conducting
the correspondence that the blockade
methods concerning which the United
States complained ARE not only rea
sonable and necessary in themselves
but constitute no more than an adapta
ton Of the old principles Of blockade t!
tho peculiar circumstances with whicl
We are confronted"
Tho crux Of the American complaint