New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-18
BRITISH ARGUMENT
PRAISED AT HOME
London Papers Call Reply to
American Note Friendly
but COgent.

London, Feb. lS.-"The Daily Chron-
icle," in an editorial on Sir Edward
Grey's reply to the American note,
says; 80.
TITS tone is not less friendly and its
arguments are even more cogent than
was the case with his first reply"
With regard TO Danish imports OF
American lard, THE Daily Chronicle
says:
when we remember that lard is
made from pigs, that the Danes keep
more pigs per head Of population than
any other nation in the world and that
their lard imports in the same two
months in the previous year were nil, 1T
is not difficult to conjecture for whom
this colossal supply-equal TO one
pound of lard week for every man,
woman and child in Denmark-was
really intended"
THE two main points argued IN Sir
Edward Grey's reply are the right TO
take vessels into port for examination
and the doctrine OF continuous voyage,
continues THE Chronicle" THE first
has to be admitted unless the right Of
search is to be abandoned altogether.
Often in winter weather IL is impos-
siblc even TO board a ship in the open
sea, let alone examine her.
"As to the need for IT one must re-
member that merchantmen require
searching. not only for contraband, but
to ascertain if they arc not mine-lay-
ers or submarine tenders in disguise
The conditions of modern war which
have made search more difficult, also
have made it more essential. Sir Ed
ward reminds the United States govern
ment that their own predecessors took
merchantmen into harbOr for eXamina-
tion during the American Civil War.
"The other pOint-the application 10
contraband Of the doctrine of continu-
Gus voyage is still more difficult for
President Wilson TO argue without
throwing his predecessors over, for, as
every international lawyer knows. 1t
was the United States itself which first
made the practice of applying the doc
trine in this way. Cases during the
Civil War are on record in black and
white, and it is rather late in the day
to think OF going back on them.
"As Germany points out, the doctrine
does not really extend the principle re
garding contraband, but only the prac-
ticc, and the extension has been rem
dercd absolutely necessary by the de-
velopmcnt of land transport through
railways. To take concrete case, no
body during the Napoleonic wars would
have thought of Genoa as harbor for
importing any serious quantity OF con-
traband into Germany. The road
transportation would have been pro
hibitiye. Now, thanks TO railways, IT
would be quite easy for Germany TO
obtain al the contraband che wants
through that port alone II no steps
f.l 20 ~ "a
"The Daily News" in an editorial on
Great Britain's reply to the American
note. says;
"The passage recalling Prince Bis
marCk's speech 10 the Kiel Chamber of
Commerce is the more piquant as II
would appear from the interview be-
tween Admiral Bahncke and the Ameri-
can naval attache in Berlin that Ger
many is contemplating an offer TO the
United States in express violation of
the last of Bismarck's provisions"
Referring 10 Admiral Bahncke's sug-
gestion that American ships should
wait 40 an Irish port till American
warships could convoy them through
the proclaimed waters the editorial
says:
cit is for the American government
10 consider whether the proposed safe
conduct is sufficiently valuable TO JUS
tify the apparent sanction OF RIVER
sion 10 the most outrageous form OF
harbarism in warfare. Sir Edward
Crews reply states quite frankly that
III is impossible for one belligcrent TO
depart from the rules and for the other
10 remain bound by them and con-
f9ins a clear threat that IL German
submarines do what they threaten 70 do
the law in regard 10 eontrabsnd IN