Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-23
'SAYS THAT j. S. COTTON
NEVER WAS CONTRABAND
Senator Hoke Smith Refutes Claim
Now Being Circulated From
London.
Directs Attention to England's
Change of Viewpoint in Re-
cent Years.

Claim that the United States made cot
ton contraband during the civil war. as
has been reported from London, is denied
by Senator Hoke Smith in a statement
given out at his country home in Warren
ton, Va.
He also calls attention to the fact that
England has changed her viewpoint in the
last ten years, as she refused to permit
Russia to place cotton on the list of con-
traband during the Japanese war.
The United States. he contends. will vio-
late no precedent If she forces England to
refrain from interference with legitimate
commerce from neutral ports. His state
ment is as follows:
THE story being published, with a Lon
. don origin. that the United States declared
cotton to be contraband during the civil
war is false and absurd. The United
States did not declare cotton contraband.
THE right of contraband seizures by a
belligerent applies alone to cargoes in
ships. The seizures are made to prevent
i goods used for military purposes from
reaching the forces of an enemy. They
are to prevent the goods from getting in
to the enemy country
THE southern states produced cotton in
they did not import it. There was no oc-
cason to seize cotton during the civil war
to prevent it from going in to southern
states.
The story originated from a note
written in 1886 by Mr.. Bayard, Secre-
minister. Mr.. Bayard. Inadvertently.
and in an untechnical sense, used, with
reference to cotton seizures on land.
the word contraband. Mr.. Muruaga
id hot tIa T-ryt Il ,nt
during the civil war treat cotton as
contra band of war. Mr.. Bayard
promptly agreed that the United States
had never placed cotton on a list of ar
documents. vol 1872. part g. page 693
The only effort by any country to
place cotton on contraband list was
by the Russian government in 1905.
This was during the-Japanese war:
Great Britain promptly protested and
declared British India is by far the larg-
est exporter of raw cotton into Japan.
The quantity of raw cotton that might be
utilized for explosives would be In
finitesimal in comparison with the bulk
Japan for peaceful purposes. and to
treat harmless cargoes Of this latter
description as unconditional contra
band would be to subject branch Of
important in the form established to a
most unwarranted interference
"Sir Edward Grey attacked the Rus
sian order, and demanded in parlia-
ment that cotton be left by Russia on
the free list. Great Britain declined
to yield to the action of Russia, and
insisted upon the fight of British citi-
zens to ship cotton to Japan. So far
as I can learn Russia did not enforce
the order.
Using the language Of the British
government, as applied to Russia. the
effort now by Great Britain to interfere
with cotton shipments Is a most IN
warranted interference with a branch
of innocent commerce.
ing the rounds of the press to the ef-
feet that the United States during the
civil war blockaded neutral ports So
far from this being true, the United
States has never sought to blockade a
neutral port. The Supreme Court of
the United States in the Peterhoff case
declared the trade of neutrals with
belligerents in articles not contraband
is absolutely free unless interrupted
by blockade. A vessel destined for
neutral port. with no Interior destina-
tion for the ship. or none by sea for the
cargo to any blockade place. violates
no blockade
THE United States will violate no
precedent IL it compels Great Britain to
cease interfering with our innocent
commerce destined for neutral ports
Great Britain is authority for the
view that no country can legally place
cotton upon a list Of contraband OF
war"