The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-03-04
WON'T CoNFIsCATE SHIPS
Retaliatory Measures wiz Not
Be "Smothered in Network
OF Judicial Niceties,"
Declares Premier.
ALLIES WORK IN M
Will Act on Presumption-Talk
Of Peace Will Not Be Con-
sidered Until Victory
Is Won, He Says.

London, March 1.-The assump-
ton of a virtual blockade of hos
tile countries is Great Britain's
reply to Germany's attack on
England's shipping, said Premier
Asquith today in a momentous
speech in the house of commons.
The plan of the allied govern
ments for the regulation Of ship
ping and exports to and from
ports of hostile nations contem-
plates the prevention of commod-
tiles of every kind reaching or
leaving those ports without, how
ever, involving risks to neutral
vessels or their. crews. The allies
will hold themselves at liberty to
capture goods presumed to have
come from hostile countries or
deemed to be destined for them.
They have no intention, however,
OF confscating ships or cargoes
which L detained, unless they
are liable to confiscation under
normal conditions of war"
Germany has driven her OPP
ponents to adopt re~taliatory meas
ures to prevent commodities of
every kind from reaching or leav-
ing Germany" said Premier AS
quith in the house of commons
today.
The proposed measures Of re-
prisal against Germany, the pre-
mier said, would be enforced with
strict observance of the dictates of
humanity, but the allies did not
propose "to allow their efforts to
be strangled in a net work Of jul
dicial niceties.'
wiz Act on Presumption.
The premier declared that the allies
would hold themselves free to capture
goods wherever there was a presump-
ton that such goods were destined for
the use of their enemies or had been
from hostile countries.
The prennier revealed these measures
of repriSals to parliament and the ma
ton on introducing the third and fourth
votes for credit to meet the expenses
of the war. These are respectively
$1S5, 000, 900 to balance the expenditures
Of the current fiscal year, making the
total cost of eight months OF war 81, S10,-
600, 900, and another vote of 81, $50, 900, 900
as the first installment for the year
opening April 1.
Referring to the German naval cam
paign against British shipping, Premier
Asquith declared that Germany had vi
olated Systematically all the conven-
tons intended for the mitigation Of
warfare. She had taken further steps,
the premier said, by organizing IAN un-
der sea campaign of piracy and pill
lage." Germany, he declared, was not
blockading and could never blockade
English shores.
Won't Consider Peace.
Referring to what he termed whispers
of peace, Mr.. Asquith said it was not
time to talk of peace; that his time
would arrive "only when the great pur-
poses of the allies are in sight Of ac-
cOmpliShment."
Premier Asquith mad the declaration
that at no time had the government
been more confident than today that
the allies ultimately would achieve vic.
tory.
High Cost of War.
The premier pointed out thai on
April 1 the war would have lasted 24O
days with an average expenditure Of
10000 pounds, $500, 000l daily.
After making full allowance for all
ltGD1S not III llS nature Oh recoverable
loans, the daily expenditure would not
be less than 1900 900 pounds. The total
amount raised under votes for creditors
during the current financial year-3G2,-
600, 600 pounds-represented broadly
the difference in expenditures on a
peace and a war footing.
Of the total, 3S,000,000 pounds repre-
sented advances for war expenditures
of the dolninions and the crown colon
les in addition to which there had
been advanced 10, 900, 900 pounds to Bel
GUM n 500, 900 pounds to Serbia.
Further advances TO these allies are
in contemplation" the premier contin-
ued. 1T is probably within the mark
to say that by April l., we shall be
spending roughly 100000, pounds daily
above the normal"
The vote credit for $50, 900, 1000 pounds
is the largest single vote ever put be-
fore the house. 1t will cover the period
to the second week of July.
Operations Against Turkey.
Referring to the attack on the Oar
danelles, the premier sal there had
been NJ impairment of strength of the
allies in France or in Flanders as a
result of withdrawals OF men for SER
vice in the campaign against Turkey,
w shall continue to give the full
lest and most effective support there
he added, referring to the western front
Neither has there been for the pur-
poses of the Dardanelles operations
any weakening Of the grand fleet. The
enterprise was carefully conceived
with distinct political, strategfcal and
economic Objects
The premier said that the operations
against Turkey again illustrated the
close cooperation among the allies.