Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-20
EMBARGO ON FOODS
PLANNED BY BRITAIN
TO STARVE OUT FOE
u. S. Informed of Intention
to Make Provisions Con-
traband in Note on Send
ing Wilhelmina's Cargo
to Prize Court.
wAsH1NaroN. Feb. 90.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 20.
Great Britain Is planning to declare all
fooJstunts contrabond Of war according
to direct intlmaton in its reply to Amer
ica's note on the wnhemina case. The
Wilheimina must so through the prize
court, Notwithstanding Americas request
Justification In the proposed plan to
starve Germany is sought in citation OF
Germanys alleged merciless war on
women and children and its further In
tention to sink any and all merchant
ships attempting to supply Britain with
foodstuGs '
The note is In effect an emphatic though
courteous warning that England expects
no Interference from neutral nations with
the, policy that 1t has decided upon as a
result OF the German Government taking
control OF ali food within the empire.
This warning Is conveyed in a para
graph of the note saying that the British
Government confidently expects such ac-
tion Ia food embargol will not be chal-
ienged or the part of neutral States by
appeals to laws and usages OF war whose
validity rests on their forming an integral
part of that system of International doc
trine" which Germany boasts the liberty
and intention to disregard
Great Brltains reply TO the American
note on the Wilhelmina case, which was
handed to Ambassador rage, says:
AT the time when his Majosty's Gov
ernment gave directions for the seizure
Of the cargo of the steamship Wilhelmina
rs coLtraband they had before them the
text of decree made by the German
Federal Courcil on the 2jth of January,
Iii Ia.
flour imported into Germany after the
alst of January was declared deliverable
only to certain organizations under direct
government control o. to municipal au-
thorltes."
Great Britain declares that Article 45
was repealed by Germany in order to
'render difficult the anticipated proceed
ing against the Wilhelmina." and that it
will be necessary for a prize court to
determine how far the ostensible reversal
by Germany affects imported foods.
Attacking German methods of warfare,
the note says:
when Germany. long before any mines
had been laid by the British authorities,
proceeded 10 SOW mines upon the high
seas, and by this means sunk consider
Rhle number not only of British but also
neutral merchantmen with their unof-
Tending crews 1t was. so his Majesty's
Government holds, open to it to take
retaliatory measures even if such meas
ures were of n kind to involve pressure
on the civil population, not, indeed, OF
neutral States, but of their enemies. II
refrained from doing so.
When subsequently English towns and
defehseless British subjects, including
women and children, were deliberately
and systematically fired upon and killed by
ships flying thsgfag of the Imperial Ger
man navy; when quiet country towns and
villages, void OF defenses and possessing
no military or naval Importance, were
bombarded by German airships. His
Majestys Government still abstained
from drawing the logical consequences
from this form os attack on defenseless
citizens. t-s
Further steps in the same direction
are now announced, and, in fact, have
already been taken by Germany.
III, therefore, His Majesty's Govern
ment should hereafter feel constrained to
declare foodstuffs absolute contraband, or
take measures for interfering with Ger
man trade by way os reprisals. they con-
fidently expect that such action will not
be challenged cl the part of neutral
States by appeals to laws and usages of
war whose validity rests on their forming
an integral part of that system of inter-
national doctrine, which as a whole, their
enemy frankly boasts the liberty and in
tention to disregard, so long as such neu-
tral States cannot compel the German
Government to abandon methods of war
fare which have not in recent history
been regarded as having the sanction of
either law or humanity"