Omaha daily bee., 1915-11-08
AMERICA WON'T
SUBMIT TO SEA
Law OF BRITAIN
Note of United States to England
Declares Blockade is "Ineffeo-
tive, Illegal and Indefen-
sible."
CHAMPION OF NEUTRAL RIGHTS
Cannot with Complacenoy Suffer
Further Subordination Of
Privileges.
COMMUNICATION MADE PUBLIC

WASHINGTON, Nov. THE
United States, in its latest note to
Great Britain, made public here to-
day, covering exhaustively British
interference with American trade
since the beginning of the European
war, declares that the so-called
blockade instituted by the allies
against enemy countries on March
IL, is ineffective, illegal and in
defensible." Notice is served that
the American government "cannot
submit to the curtailment OF Ats neu-
trail rights" and II cannot with
complaceney suffer further sub
ordination OF its rights and inter
ests."
Ambassador Page to whom the
note was sent by special messenger
for delivery TO the London foreign
office was instructed by Secretary
Lansing Ito impress most earnestly"
upon the British government that the
United States must insist that the
relations between It and his majesty's
government be governed not by q
policy OF expediency. but by those
established rules of International
conduct to which Great Britain
in the past has held the United
States to account when the latter
nation was belllgerent engaged In
a struggle for national existence"
Champion of Neutral Rights.
Declaring the United States ''un-
hssltatlngly assumes" the task OF cham
pionlng the integrity OF neutral rights,
the note proclaims that the American
government will devote its energies to
the task. exercisingly always an i'm
partial attitude.
The -notc nearly 1900 words In length.
wac n,eda public by agreement between
the State department. and the British
foreign office. It CARRIES with II a
veiinTneus appendix. giving the text OF
American naval instructions issued IN
1862 and a summary and table showing
hundreds Of vessels detained by British
authorities since the beginning of the
present war.
The body OF the note is divided into
thirty five points. dealing with all phases
of the contraband question. seizures and
detentions. prior to. as well as after. the
so-caIled blockade was instituted. and
announces that separate communIca-
tion will be sent soon dealing particularly
with the ''properiety and right OF the
British government to include In their
list Of cohtraband OF war certain articles
which have been so included"
without Justification.
In conclusion. after an argument on
the law and facts. Secretary Lansing
says:
Il believe It has been conciuslvely
shown that the methods sought 10 be en-
ployed by Great Britain TO obtain and
use evidence of enemy destination OF
cargoes bound for neutral ports and TO
impose a contraband character upon such
cargoes are without justification; that
the blockade upon which such methods
are partly founded is Ineffective. illegal
and indefenslble; that the judicial pro-
cedure offered as a means OF reparation
for an international injury Is inherently
defective for the purpose; and that in
many cases jurisdiction is asserted in
violation OF the law of nations.
THE United States. therefore. cannot
submit to the curtailment OF its neutral
CONTINUED on Page Two. Column Five.)