Americus times-recorder., 1915-06-21
HOKE SMITH SAYS GREAT BRITAIN WITHOUT
WARRANT IN LAW OR JUSTICE is DESTROY
ING SOUTH'S FOREIGN COTTON MARKET

our ports. But Great Britain allowed
no cotton shipped in March to go
free to Holland, Denmark or Sweden.
The vessels with cargoes of cotton
were seized, and the cotton shipped
to Rotterdam, Gothenburg and other
European ports was carried into Eng
lish ports. Over 100000 bales of this
cotton destined to northern Europe
were sold by Great Britain in England
during April and May.
A Drop From 435,o37 Bales To 45,3oo
Bales In One Month.
by the department of commerce classi-
fies France, Germany, Italy, Russia
in Europe, Spain and the United
Kingdom, separately. The figures then
show for the balance of Europe as
"Other Europe" They show that in
February we exported to "Other Eu-
rope" and Germany 435,037 bales of
cotton, of this Germany received $4,000
bales. In April we exported to Ger
many no cotton and to "Other Europe"
only 45,300 bales, thus showing the
tremendous shrinkage of expectations
of cotton to the neutral ports of north
ern Europe, caused by the illegal
blockade. But for the blockade, Ger
many, Austria and northern Europe
would have purchased before August
1st, 100000 additional bales of last
years crop.
A hree-Miilion-Bale Market Cut Off
For This Years Crop.
Before these seizures by Great Brit.
ain, the price of cotton was steadily
rising. After Great Britain cut off
our German, Austrian and northern
European market, the price of cotton
fell in England a cent and half
pound. Great Britain stopped the rise
and caused the fall in the price of
cotton during the past two months.
If the present illegal blockade by
Great Britain Of neutral ports of north
ern Europe is permitted to remain
of force, not only will we lose the
market now for part of last years
crop, but market will be cut off for
100000 bales of this years crop.
On March 30th, the state department
of our government wrote Great Brit
ain protesting against the notice from
Great Britain of March 1st, and the
order in council of March 18th. This
order in council was a declaration
of purpose by Great Britain to in
tercept all vessels destined to or from
the ports of northern Europe carrying
goods of presumed enemy destination
or origin. That is to say, this order
in council Of March 18th announced
the purpose OF Great Britain to close
the neutral ports of northern Europe
to the commerce of the United States,
even though the cargoes consisted of
non-contraband goods, when Great
Britain suspected that the cargoes
might be destined to German or Aus
trian use, or that the cargoes were of
German or Austrian origin.
Cannot Blockade Neutral Port.
There is no rule Of international
law more fully established than that
belligerent cannot blockade neutral
port, and neutrals have the right to
ship to neutral ports non-contraband
goods, even though the ultimate desti-
nation Of those goods is to citizens
of one of the belligerents.
Our government, through the state
department, wrote Great Britain on
March goth protesting against the no
tice Of March 1st and the order in
council of March 18th. In this letter
Of March goth it was declared that
innocent ships may be freely trans
ported to and from the United States
through neutral countries to belliger-
ent territory without being subject to
British blockade, much less to deten-
tion and confiscation." Again this
same letter declares that such inter-
ference by Great Britain is a dis
tinct invasion Of the sovereign rights
of the nation whose trade and COM
merce is interfered with"
EngIand's Only Answer Was Continued
Seizures.
The only answer Great Britain has
given to this letter has been the con-
tinued seizure of vessels loaded with
cotton and other non-contraband goods
destined to neutral ports. These seiZ-
ures have continued to such an extent
that shipments of cotton into this
territory have been abandoned. Great
Britain has destroyed the market, and
has deferred cotton merchants and
shippers from even seeking further to
enter the market.
A cotton shipper was in Washington
few days ago with an order from
Sweden for 10000 bales of cotton. He
had proof that the cotton would be
consumed by Swedish mills. He sought
to obtain assurance from the English
embassy here that the vessel would
not be seized if he sent the cotton.
He obtained no satisfaction.
How The South Suffers From This
Illegal Blockade.
The injury to our entire country,
and especially to the cotton-growing
states, if the illegal blockade to which
l have referred is permitted to remain
of force, cannot be over-estimated.
| Our people struggled through low