The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-16

The prlnclpleS oI 1nJernatlOnal law,' the communication concludes, "the practice of nations, the national safety of the United States and oth- CT nations without great military and naval establishments, the prevention of increased armies and navies, the adoption of peaceful methods for the adjustment of international differ ences, and, finally, neutrality itself, are opposed to the prohibition by a neutral nation of the exportation of arms, ammunition or other munitions of war to belligerent powers during the progress of the war.
 Pointing to practical and substantial reason why the United States aside from the question of principle. advocates and practices unrestricted trade in military supplies, the note declares:
 .sIt has never been the policy of this country to maintain in time of peace a large military establishment of stores of arms and ammunition sufficient to repel invasion by a well equipped and powerful enemy. It has desired to re- main at peace with all nations and to f avoid any appearance of menacing such peace by the threat of it's armies and navies. In consequence of this standing policy, the United States would, in the event of attack by foreign power. be at the outset of war, seriously, if not fatally, embarrassed by the lack of arms d,and ammunition, and by the means to cproduce them in sufficient quantities to supply the requirements of national de- fense. The United States has always depended upon the right and power to purchase arms and ammunition from neu- tral nations in case of foreign attack This right, which it claims for itself, it cannot deny to others.
 The United States asserts that it can- not accede to the suggestion that 1t change or modify the rules of interna- tional usage during the progress of war on account of special conditions and declares that the idea of neutrality ad- vanced by Austria would involve neutral nation in a mass of perplexities which would obscure the whole field of international obligation. produce econ omic confusion and deprive all commerce and industry of legitimate fields of en- terprise, already heavily burdened by the unavoidable restrictions of war"
 Attention is directed to the fact that Austria Hungary and Germany before the war produced great surplus of war mu- nitions and sold them throughout the world especially to belligerents." and that never during that period did either of them suggest or apply the principle now advocated by the imperial and royal gov- ernment."
 The note points out particularly that during the Boer war between Great Brit ain and the South African republics the latter were in situation almost iden- 4ical with that occupied by Germany and Austria at the present time, and that fin spite of the commercial isolation of one bellgerent. Germany sold to Great Brit ain, the other belligerent, hundreds of thousands of kilos of explosives, gun powder cartridges, shot and weapons, and Austria -Hdngaryl also sold similar munitions to the same purchaser, though in smaller quantities.
 IF this connection table of sales by Germany and Austria to Great Britain during the Boer war is appended to the note. and it is suggested that had Aus tria and Germany refused to sell arms to Great Britain at that time Ion the ground that to do so would violate the spirit of strict neutrality, the imperial and royal government might with greater consistency and greater force urge it's present contention.
 The note was cabled to Ambassador