The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-03
BRITAIN DEFENDS
HALTING u S. SHIPS
Three Notes Received at state
Department to Be Made
Public Tomorrow.
CITE CASES IN CIVIL WAR

WASHINGTON. Aug. "A lengthy
defence Of the British orders in coun-
Gil. under which neutral trade with
Germany is being prevented. will be
laid before the American public mex
Wednesday morning. when notes re-
ceived from Great Britain on these
subjects will be published. TIE State
Department nuw'has three notes from
the British Government. all of which
will be published on Wednesday stimuli
t%aneously in the United States and
Great Britain. The first note was re-
ceived last week; the two Others were
received to-day.
The note received last week Is OF a
general character and dea!s with the
practices ~ the British in interfering
with shipments of American goods to
Germany via the neutral countries adj
jacept TO Germany.
one of the notes received to-
day discusses the American note
OF three weeks ago. in which
the United States filed a caveat, serv-
ing notice on the British Government
! that II would not consider Itself
| obliged TO accept any decisions Of Brit
, ish prize courts not based on the gen.
orally accepted principles Of interna-
tional law. This vas filed as a result
of indications hat the British prize
court might accept the British orders
IN council as Of equal force with the
rules of international law.
The third note is a reply to Arneri-
can representations In the case of the
Neches. an American ship detained
by the British authorities when ii at
tempted to carry to the United states
goods of German origin consigned to
Americans and exported Via Holland.
All the notes. except the one re-
gardlng the Neches case, are said to
he very long. IL is expected hat
the three communications together
will constitute the most complete de-
fence OF its own practices that the
British Government is able to present.
Consideration of these communlca-
tlons, which are Of a strictly legal and
technical character. Will undoubtedly
delay for a long time the sending of
any further representations to Great
Britain on the trade controversy.
The note received last week Is UNI
derstood TO constitute a legal defence
of the British practices as regards the
virtual blockade OF neutral countries
adjacent to Germany. Decisions os
United States courts. particularly In
several noted civil war cases. are
cited by the British in support of their
contention that American practice con-
tains presidents for just what the
British are doing to-day with reference
10 trade with Germany.
L.. 8. Action In CtViI War cited.
The British assert that their acts
are merely an application of the
principles laid down by the United
States In the civil war TO tn" peculiar
and new conditions existing in the
present war. The United States is
reminded hat though the action OF the
Federal Government in the civil war
with reference to interference with
attempts Of neutrals to trade with the
Southern states was new and unprec-
edented, the British Government ac-
cepted il as based on sound princi-
pies of international law.
Finally the British point out that
British prize courts have yet to pass
on the issues and cases raised by the
orders in council regarding trade
with Germany. and that the United
tates shouil certainly be willing TO
await judicial Interpretation of the
acts Of the British authorities.
1t is also called to the attention OF
the United States Government that
even IL the prize court decisions are
unsatisfactory to American interests
they will have the right of appeal to
the higher courts Of Great Britain for
redress.
Finally this Government Is reminded