Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-11-09
HOLDS BRITISH
BLOCKADE NOT
EFFECTIVE ONE
President Wilson's Note De-
mands Freedom Of
Seas
INSISTS, ON SHIPMENTS
GOING TO GERMANY
England Cannot Detain Non Con-
traband Goods of Ameri-
can Origin

Wilson and Secretary Lansing today
read American and British press COM
ments on the latest note sent TO Great
I:ritain, and awaited the effect of the
document upon Great Britain.
Ambassador Page has not reported
the impression made upon the British.
So far as the American shippers arc
concerned. tne dispatch Of Che note
marks 3the turning point Of vast i'm
portance. For henceforth the United
States will consider the British 'bloc:S-
ade as ineffective and imperative, anc
all cargoes of non-contraband goods
destined for Germany and for neutral
countries to the enemies OF Great
Britain will be elviewed by this. govern
ment as immune from detention.
Claims presented by Americans fo
detention OF seizure Of shipped goct'
will be supported by the diplomatic
machinery to the fullest.
American officials expressed partic-.
a,lar concern about the connection OF
the Illegal practices Of Great Britain
in the. large trade they claim Greac
Britain herself is carrying on wit:
neutral ports to which American ex-!
porters are, forbidden to trade. It is
this feature Of the situation the offs
cials regard as the most serious.
Publication dtoday Of the American
note to Great; Britain denouncing as
ineffective, Illegal and indefensible"
the attempsea blockade against Ger
MANY and Austfia, gives notice to citi
zens OF the United States whose legi-
innate foreign trade is interfered with
by the Allies that they should seek re-
dress directly through the diplomatic
channels of their own government
rather than through prize courts.
This latest note, delivered by Am
;bassador Page to the British foreign
office, is an exhaustive document deal
ing with England's interference with
American trade since the outbreak OF
the war. In effect, it is a communica-
ton also to France, which has follow
ed her ally in the treatment OF over
seas commerce, copy OF which was
presented to the French embassy here.
Thirty-tive points are treated in the
note, and in conclusion Secretary Lam
sing declares that the, United States
cannot with complacency suffer fur
ther subordihation of it's rights and in
terests to the plea that the exception
al geographic position Of the enemies
of Great Britain require justify op-
pressive and illegal proctices. The re-
lations between the United States and
Great Britain, he says, must be gov
, erned not by Fexpediency, but by estab'
lished rules of international conduct;
it is of the highest Importance to neu.
trails not only Of the present day but
of the future that the principles of in:
ternational right be maintained unim.
paired and the United States unhesi.
tatingly assumes the task of cham
pioning the rights of neutrals.
Heretofore Americans whose car
goes destined to neutral. countries
have been seized on the high seas and
delayed or confiscated, have been ad.
yised to exhaust legal remedies abroad
before asking the United States gov
ernment to seek reparation.' Now, the
note says, the government "feels that
It cannot reasonably be expected to
advise it's citizens to seek redress be-
fore tribunals which are in it's opinion
unauthorized by the unrestricted ap-
plication of International law to grant
reparation, nor to refrain from pre-
senting their claims directly to the
British government through diplomat
1c channels
Since the United States does not e.
cognize the existence Of legal block.
ade Americans may look to their gov
ernment for protection in the ship.
ment of non-contraband cargoes not
only to neutral countries contiguous
to belligerents, but directly TO or from
the enemies Of the Allies.
Lohg Note.
Tie note, nearly 10000 words in
length, was made public by agreement
between the state department and the
British foreign Office. It carries with
it volu;ninous 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
a5 points, dealing with all phases OF
the contraband question, seizures and
detentions, prior to, as we'll as after,
the so-called blockade was instituted,
Continued On Page TWo.) J