Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-08
London Papers See
CRAFTY OF Issue
Warn against Understanding
Seriousness Of Contentious
AdUocatcd BY america.


of London morning newspapers In
generally that, although the points
raised in the note are open tn argu-
/ nent, Great Britain's argument Is
! that she Is engaged In q life-and-
! death struggle and, therefore, IL she Is
I to consider all questions on the prac-
! teal basis of winning the war. tho
war Is bound to carry some of the in
as possible and is consistent. she is
doing everything she can to keen
down this Inconvenience.
| 1t is also contcndcd that ncutrals
! having failed TO act when the Ger
mans contravcncd international law
by sinking neutral ships and ships
= with neutral passengers, II was ncccs-
, sary for Great Britain to take some
action. The Daily Mail says:
Our people are so engrosscd with
Z the war that il Is doubtful whether
! they have yet clearly realized the in
, tr!cacy and delicacy of the problems
} which have arisen between Great Brit
ain and the United States. These prob
! leme are attracting "A great deal OF
attention. Very much more is likely
: 70 be heard from them during the next
few weeks"
our case--it is a very strong one
I Is that the orders in council were In
; reply to Gcrmany's Reputation of all
international law. The power which
! wickcdly torpcdocd neutral ships and
! ships with neutral passengers and
which sowed the sea with mines show
cd complete Indifference for those neu-
| trial right, Of which the United States
, declares itself the unhcsitating champ
T ION.
we waited for the neutrais to act
! and as they did not act, we acted our
! selves in the interests of humanity.
= The doctrines which wc applied are in
essence those laid down by the United
/ States courts in the Civil War They
are applied to the new conditions OF
8 modern warfare. but their adaptation
( does not imply Contravcntion OF prin-
4 cip!es If in the Civil War the United
states ships generally searched vessels
. at sea, then there were no torpedocs
! no submarines. and no mines spread
q broadcast on the open water"
The Daily News remarks on the fact
T that the note is couchcd In vigorous
uncompronising language, paralleled
/ in the American notes 10 Germany. but
hitherto foreign To the communica
/ tons passed between Washington and
/ London. and admits that no mistake
/ could be gravcr than TO underestimate
/ the seriousness OF the contentious adj
! vocatcd by the United states.
one point OF detail the News recog
I nizcs-the complaint that American
ships seized are charged port duties and
4 other cxact!ons is unreasonable. and
I says this should be rcctifed. The news
/ paper expresses the belief that Wash
iuEton Will recognize that the recent
activity OF British submarines in the
/ Baltic materially vnodifes tn. contcn-
( ton that the blockade Is ineffective. ON
/ the broad question the Daily News con-
LTD [, J., t..l
4 to supcrscde prize courts by An inter
/ national court OF the first instance
/ there IS nothing TO prevent The settle
I incrt OF the difficulties by tho institu-
/ tion of panel OF jursts Of certain OF
I the allied and neutral countries.
I The Times. IN an editorial this morn
/ ing. says that IL imagincs that Amcri-
/ can jurists and diplomats will feel
( that the note is not altogether worthy
. Of the better traditions o: the re-
I public, since i; raises a number OF tech :
meal points Of disputed international
/ law, hu, nowhere rises to the broad
| view Of the larger issues involved In
I the world war. or indicates the states
mans ability to adapt old principles to
I novel ends.
/ Proceeding To complain that the
/ United states relies for presidents on
. the period since 1866, when there was
. no maritime warfare OF the first order
! or seeks 10 apply them TO The most
. terrible struggle that has con:ulscd the
world for over Il century, The Times
I ChIract"ri2cs the note as Savorn <
! rather OF n brief than a Judgment, or
even OF an argument which large
, minded counsel would care - submit
J - an intelligent court. Justifying the
3 British procedure OF searching sus-
/ rcctcd vessels. and referring to the
( complaint that no redress is ohtainable.
, tn" Times asks:
fnr .f. e..
! these and kindred injuries IN the civil
! War" no Americans forget how they
! practically wipcd out the whole Indus
try OF Ianca shire and plunged its pop
lulation into dire distress?
! Did We complain? Did the victims
: themselves complain? No Their suf-
! fcrinrs were acute. but they believed
! that tho North was fighting in the
I cause OF human liberty and moral
4 right. and therefore they we're patient.
/ some reciprocity. It may seem 10
Americans as well as to us. might he
/ expected from Washington in the way
F., OF our trials The note wholly over
! rincs in the Baltic. Our position in
/ tho Baltic to-day is considerably
stronger than the positions of America
! on the Confederate coast. when, with
! out protest from us, she boldly placed
| it all under paper blockade.
I'VE might we'll he advised now 10
| cut the knot of these controversies by
| proclaiming forthwith blockade of
| all German ports and coasts.
! another point we cannot pass over
/ is the cxtravagant character Of the
! language of the note. We make al
! lowances, however for the eXigencies
! OF American domestic politics and at
/ tribute to the choice OF adiectives and
| a turn OF expression not usually
| found lin formal intercourse between
! the governments of great peoples"
upon which Great Britain in the past