The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-11-13
LOCKADEILLECAL
U.S.TELLSB BRITAIN
President Wilson Insists on
Shipping Rights.
CHAMPIONS ALL NEUTRALS
America Cannot with Complacence
Suffer Further Subordination of Its
interests" Says Note.

The long awaited note to Great
Britain on British practices interior
ing with American trade was mad
public.
In it the United States serves not
ice on Great Britain:
THAT it does not recognize as
legal and effective the British block
ade of Germany and Austria-Hungary.
2-That it cannot submit" to the
curtailment of it's neutral rights by
measures which are admittedly re-
taliatory and therefore illegal.
3-That we must insist" the rela-
lions between it and the British gov
eminent be governed not by a policy
of e~xpediency but by established
rules of international law.
4-That it unhesitatingly assumes
the task of championing the integrl-
ty of neutral rights and will devote
its energies to that end.
The note as a whole is a vigorous
denunciation of the British govern
ment for the illegality of it's measures
in regard to neutral shipping without
Justification" ineffective" illegal"
"~indefensible" and 'in violation of the
law of nations" are some OF this gov
ernment's characterizations OF the
British practices.
Contrasted with the notes to Ger
many in the submarine controversy
the communication to Great Britain,
however, contains no phrases such
as strict neutrality" will omit no
word or act" and similar expressions
used by the president in pressing his
demands on Berlin. The note to the
London foreign office is devoid of
implications such as were contained
in the German notes, of drastic &C.
ton by the United States in the event
that the grounds of complaint are not
removed.
The note contains more than 10000
words. 1t includes among other ex-
hibits a long list of neutral ships
which have been Illegally interfered
with by the British. This list, with
the details In each case, constitute
in effect, the Indictment against
Great Britain on which the note prop
er is based.
The note groups the causes for pro-
test by the United States under three
heads. Under these are covered all
the acts which are held to have in
fringed upon American trade rights.
The three groups of o~ffenses are:
THE seizure and detention of
vessels on the high seas on mere sus-
picion.
2-The so-called blockade policy.
3-The unsatisfactory and unac-
ceptable character of the regulations
governing and the procedure of Brit
ish prize courts.
The American protest on these
three grounds of complaint is summa-
rized in the note as follows:
Believe it has ~conclusively shown
that the methods sought to be employ
ed by Great Britain to obtain and
use evidence of enemy destination of
cargoes bound for neutral ports and
to impose a contraband character
upon such cargoes are without justi-
fication; that the blockade upon
which such methods are partly found
ed is ineffective, illegal and indefens-
ible; that the judicial procedure Of
fered rs a means of r%eparation for
an international injury is inherently
defective for the purpose and that
in many cases jurisdiction is assert
ed in violation of the law OF nations"
The note adds the additional warn
ing that the United States cannot
submit to the curtailment of it's neu-
trail rights by these measures" or
with complacency suffer further
subordination of its rights and inter-
ests to the plea that the exceptional
geographic position of the enemies
of Great Britain require or justify
oppressive and illegal practices"