The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-11-13
AWAIT RESULT OF LAST NOTE
WILSON AND LANSING READ
COMMENT AND WATCH FOR
RESULTS OF DEMAND.
From Now OH United States Will Hold
That British Must Make Compcnsa-
ton for Any Intcrfcrcncc-May
Change Blockade Plan.

Washington. Nov. S.-President
Wilson and Secretary Lansing today
read American and British comment
on the United States note to Great
Britain and awaited the effect Of the
document upon British treatment of
neutral overseas trade.
Ambassador Page has not reported
| the impression made upon the British
| foreign office. So far as American
shippers are concerned, however, the
dispatch of the note marks a turning
point of vast importance, for hence
| forth the United States considers the
! British blockade as ineffective and in
| operative, and all cargoes of nom
! contraband goods destined for Ger
| many or through neutral countries to
Great Britain's enemies will be viewed
as immune from detention. Claims
| presented by Americans for detentions
or seizures Of such goods would be
| supported to the fullest extent by the
| diplomatic machinery of the United
States.
Speculation in official quarters to-
! day as to what Great Britain's course
would be was varied. Some officials
pointed out that if Great Britain
abandoned all pretense of blockade
and applied the laws of contraband
I the forthcoming American note on
the propriety of including various ar
ticles in the contraband list would be
especially pertinent. On the other
hand, if the blockade is made legal,
the American government will con-
tinue to insist that legitimate trade
with neutral countries must not be
Iinterfered with.
! What American officials express
ton with Great Britain's alleged IL
legal practices is the large trade they
claim Great Britain is carrying on
with neutral ports to which Ameri-
can exporters are forbidden to trade.
1t Is this feature OF the situation
which officials regard as most serious
and indefensible. They say if Great
Britain held her own exports to nor
NAL trade with neutrals the applica-
ton of rigid measures to American
traders might be less offensive, though
the aspect of law would not be af-
lfected
In allied diplomatic quarters here
the note was not commented upon
officially, but uniformity of view was
noticeable. The British opinion as
REFLECTED in official quarters was that
the United States was arguing on
technical grounds and failed to take
into consideration the altered circum-
stances of the present war and the
enlarged facilities for rapid COM
munication by rail between Dutch
land Danish ports. for example, and
tGerman cities. French and Russian
! OiASioio PoiHIcu Out IIlaI tnelr gov
lernments were in sympathy with the
attitude of their ally and that while
the British foreign office was con-
tducting the negotiations, this did not
mean their governments were any the
less interested.
Among all the allied diplomats the
view prevailed that the controversy
would not become acute, it being
pointed out that even if deadlock
was reached in the negotiations the
Bryan peace treaties were availa bic
for years investigation of the points
in dispute.
In German quarters the arguments
in the American note were COM
mended as sound and justified by in
lternatiOnal law. German officials.
however, said they were much more
interested in what measure the United
states would take to obtain ac-
lquiescence to it's expressed views.
In view of the length of the note
an answer from Great Britain is not
expected for at least a month.
| ICONTR ('TS