The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-01-25

= "HNH" - ~
OF tho rights and duties OF u neutral
In the European war.
a document. s.Ooo words long, pre-
pared by President Wilson. Secretary
Bryan and Counselor Robert Lansing
OF the state department after several
days OF consultation was made public
In the form % a letter from the Sec
rotary OF state Ia senator Stone OF
Missouri. chairman Of the senate COM
mittee on foreien relations.
While the letter Is a reply 90 an
inquiry from senator Stone for infor-
matioa as a result Of complaints made
IN the press and In letters from var
ious parts of the country charging the
Washington government with Unfair
ness TO Germany and Austria, Il also
Is intended as a pronunclamento Of
policy on some questions of neutrality,
previously unexplained.
After answering nineteen separate
and specific charges and calling at
teation to the fact that the United
States has promptly taken to task
Great Britain ~ well ~ Germany and
any government which In any way
has infringed upon the rights Of this
country. The letter concludes with the
following declaration on the much
discussed question Of expectation OF
war munitions:
~ any American citizens, partisans
Of Germany and Austria -HungaFy, feel
that this administration Is acting IN
a way Injurious To the cause OF those
countries. this feeling results from
the fact that on the high seas the
German aud Austria Hungarian naval
power IL thus far 1 ferior 90 the Brit
ish. II IN the business 81 a belliger-
ent operating on the high seas, not
! the duty OF n neutral, TO prevent con-
traband from reaChing the enemy.
Those In this country who sympathize
with Germany and Austro-HungRry
appear to assume that some obligation
rests upon this government, Ia the
performance OF its neutral duty. TO
prevent all trade In c-0ntraSand. %
thus TO cqualize the difference due 80
the relative naval strength OF the bell
lgerents. No such obligation exists;
Il would be an unlcutrat act. an act
OF Partially on the part of this gov
| eminent, 10 adopt such "a policy, u
the executive had the power to do 20.
III Germany and Austria Hungary
cannot import contraOand from this
country. II II not. because of this fact'
the duty Of the United Slater To c,ose
it, markets to the allies. The markets
OF this country are open upon equal
terms to all the world. 90 every ma
ton. -belligerent or neutral
During the course Of the letters
| discussion OF the various charges
made, the following facts hitherto I'M
| disclosed were revealed for the hrst
| time:
That the Canadian government re-
| Gently asked the United States for
| permission to ship war equipment
/ across Alaska TO the sea u the re-
quest was refused.
Thnt the United states has sent a
| vigorous protest 20 France because
some German passengers on an Amer
| lean ship plying between two ports III
| Colombia were forced hy d boarding
crew from a French cruiser 20 sign a
promise To- not participate In the war
This procedure was declared In the
| American note TO be "an unwarrhnted
eNerc.se OF Jurisdiction over American
vessels In which this government VII
not acguiesCc.'
That sharp representations also
were made To another ui the allleu
governments because search was con
Quoted on the high seas on an Amer
lean ship for German and Austrian
passengers. The name Of the Nesse
or offending government was not re-
venicd.
That on December -, last, the GER
man ambassador hy direction of M
government delivered q memorandum
10 the United states government stat
ing that "under the general principle'
OF international law, no exception car
be taken TO neutral states letting Wal
material 20 To Germany enemies
from or through neutral territory
That representations were mad'
both TO Japan and Great fritali
against the continued presence o.
their warships of American ports '''
that the protests were IN each case.
needed.
That since the Improvement OIL '"'
lWashinpt1u governments disappi"'"
Inf war hans. zone has been made nl
foreign governments iu this country
distinction is drawn officially u"
IA, first time between loans floatcd n'
popuIaf subscription ana large cfeui
transactions for the purchase OF wa
supplies. the state department reNe''
Ing that u has no objection To in'
latter.
In "a general way, the letter r'l
forth that rules OF neutrality nav
been PROMULGATED by the Amerl'Al
government without discriminate
and have been applied with equH
fairness 90 ala concerned. II cites IN
stances of Violations by Germany am
IGreat Britain ans asserts mat pro
tests have been unhcsitatlngly cul'I''
REGARDLESS OF the country offending
Complaints as summarized hS sen
ator stone are answered ln the ''l'e
point oy point. substantially as i"'
llows. .
"l. Freedom az communication %
submarine cHblcs versus 'ens"'o'
communication hy wireless u Us so
forth first that "a wireless station OF
"A neutral coast cannot Poe intertupte'
b., "a hclllgorcnt but the Inter mas un
restricted riEht 90 cut 70 canle on w
high seas. Germany n cutting OF y"
British cable near Tanning iAlahd
cited 10 balance Great Britain's lh''I
c|eption OF the cable between German,
ana the United states. The point >
mad. that wireless messages can "