The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-01-07
BY PROTEST o.
TO GREAT BRITAIN !
Position Taken by England In
Former Wars as Well
as Our Attitude In
Previous Cases.

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consigned directly to the military forces
| Of the enemy.
In other words, our farmers, cattle
raisers and pork packers are today, by
British edict, being denied the right
to sell and deliver their products to
the peaceful population Of the coun.
tries with which Great Britain hap.
pens to be at war and Of the countries
which she suspects sympathize with
them. -.- -
Ships Held on Suspicion.
Thus the American ship Kroonland
was held for weeks at Gibraltar. She
was laden with copper, on the way to
Italy The American ship Pridilla was
under detention at Halifax with mix
ed cargo, on the way to neutral port.
The American ship Rockefeller, laden
with oil, destined to Scandinavian
port when stopped, was held at Kirk.
wall. England. -.-
What crime have the owners of these
vessels committed?
Does international law or common
sense require that farmer in a peace
full country should in time of war fol-
low his wheat or his meat through all
the channels of trade to the very mouth
that consumes it? No, international
law requires no such thing. and com.
mon sense brands the suggestion as
preposterous. But the British govern
ment demands it.
Thomas Jefferson's Position.
A study of the attitudes historically
taken by the governments Of the Unit
ed States and of Great Britain on this
question is Of peculiar interest 1t may
be taken for granted that the note sent
by our government to London made
the following points: 49,.
III 1895 the British government. be-
ing then at war with France. by an or
der in council directed the seizure Of
all vessels laden with provisions bound
for French ports. The government of
the United States protested against
this action It secured the appoint
ment in 1895 Of mixed commission
for the purpose of awarding damages
by reason of illegal captures and con-
formations by the British This COM
mission held that the action of the
British in holding up provisions on the
way to French ports, but not speci6cal-
~ intended for the French army and
navy, was illegal. and awarded large
damages.
The language Of Thomas Jefferson.
secretary of state of the United States,
in fnstructing Mr.. Pinckney, our min
lister in London. Sept Z. 1893. repre-.
sents the position which this govern
ment has ever since consistently main.
tanned:
when two nations go to war those
who choose to live in peace retain their
natural right to pursue their agricul.
ture. manufactures and other ordinary
vocations, to carry the produce of their
industry for exchange to all nations.
belligerent or neutral. as usual.'
Great Britain's Previous Attitude.
Since 1895 the government of Great
Britain did not for 119 years undertake
to assert that provisions destined else.
where than to the government, army
or navy of belligerent were contra.
band. Indeed, it has until the present
constantly maintained the opposite DO
sition
In the year 1885 France. being in a
:state; Of. Hostility with China. declared
shipments of rice destined to any ports
in northern China to be ccntraband.
The pretensicn> was: resisted by Great
Britain on the ground that though pro
visions may in particular circum
stances acquire contraband charac.
ter they cannot in general be so treat
ed. Lord Granville, British minister
OF foreign affairs. in a note to M. Wad
dington Feb: q. 1885. replied to the
French contention that his govern
ment could not admit it. The British
position was that before they could be
treated as contra band Of war it must
be shown that provisions are destined
for military use"
Mr. Wharton. solicitor Of the depart.
ment of state. May IS. 1885. reported
to the department.:
IF rice Is contraband everything is
contraband. and neutral commerce in
time of war. already sufficiently op.
pressed. would be subjected to an ad-
ditional burden. which would be in.
tolerable"
Opinion During Boer War.
During the Boer war. question hav-
ing arisen as to the position of the Brit.
ish government with regard to dis,
patch of DrOViSiOnS tn SOnth Afrioo