The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1915-01-14
Britain Admits Complaints of
United States Are
lust
ABNORMAL CONDITION is
BLAMED FOR ALL TROUBLE
Sir Edward crey's Note is Friendly
and Officials Celleve That Ship
ping Difficulty Can Be Easily
Adjusted.

Washington Great Britain's pre-
liminary reply TO the note from the
United States government, requesting
an Improvement in the treatment of
American commerce by the British
feet, was made public here and in
London Sunday by mutual agreement
between the state department and the
British foreign Office.
The British communication concurs
in the view of the United States that
commerce between neutral nations
should be interfered with only when
imporatively necessary, and officials OF
the Washington government construed
it as conceding that the principles eN-
pressed by the American note were
Just and upheld by the previously ac-
cepted usage of intern national law.
The only formal comment made Sun
day night was contained in a brief
statement issued by Secretary Bryan,
who said:
This answer being preliminary, and
not being intended as a complete re
ply. we will postpone comment until
the full answer is received"
Briefly. the British note, while con-
cedng the principles of the American
governments contentious, points out
difficulties in actual practice, refers
to alleged fraudulent practices by
shippers and cites statistics showing
an increase. rather than a decrease
in certain neutral commerce, in sup
port of Great Britain's suspicious that
Germany and Austria have been in.
directly obtaining contraband through
neutral countries. The note promises.
however, that Great Britain will make
redress" whenever the action OF the
British feet may unintentially ex-
coed" the limits of international law.
While they are generally reGerved
in their comment. it may be stated
authoritatively that high officials of
the tone of the note as entirely friend
ly and believe, moreover, that the dis
cussion which Will follow 1t will be
carried on in the same vein. with a
desire on the part of both countries
to reach a satisfactory understand
ing.
The admission by Great Britain of
one of the chief points in the Ameri-
can note-that the relations between
neutrals were those OF normal times,
of peace and not of war-was crafty
ing to officials, who believed that the
controversy would now resolve itself
into frank discussion of what were
the actual necessities OF the case
which impel interference by belliger-
ent, when suspecting that the .ulti-
mate destination of a neutral cargo is
belligerent territory.
The statistics brought forth to
show that commerce between the Uni
ted States and neutral countries con-
tiguous to Germany and Austria had
increased materially since the out
break of the war were regarded here
as misleading. Ii was pointed out
that in view OF the breaking down of
the normal routes OF commerce with
Germany and Austria, many non-con-
traband products had been shipped
through neutral countries. Similarly,
the neutral countries which previous
ly, hod obtained much OF their
supplies, from belligerents, were now
importing from the United States.
The admission of Great Britain that
as to foodstuffs and conditional con-
traband, Lord Salisbury's doctrine,
quoted in the American note, would
be followed in practice by the British,
foodstuffs being held up only when
destined to an enemy's force, also
was pleasing to American officials.
There is every reason to believe
that the United States will not accept
the view of Great Britain that cargoes
must be taken into port for extended
examination.