The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-05
BRITISH BLOCKADE NOTE
PRESENTS ALLIES CASE
Document, Which Is Here Analysed in Detail, Called
'The Temperate Appeal Which Dsarms Resent
ment and Conciliates Judgment"

preparation Of a convincing reply viii be
difficult, a task that will put to the test
Mr.. Lansing's legal our and Presi-
dent Wilson'S capacity for presentation
The World.
Great Britain and Germany have
alike been lawless IN their treatment OF
neutral commerce.. although the ofrences
differ greatly In kind and In degree.
Great Britain has msasacred no helpless
ncutrals and non-combatants. BRUSH
naval commanders have sunk no neutral
ships and destroyed no neutral cargoes.
The British Government In It's blockade
practices has d~isregarded law, TIL
German Government has d~isregarded
both law and humanity.
Nevertheless, the duty Of the United
States II clear. As the most powerful
Of the neutral nations and AZ the
one capable champion OF neutral
rights 1t must hold both belligerents
strictly to account. IL 1t concede h
Great Britain asks 1t must In principle
contede what Germany asks. and admit
that neutrals rave no rights a be'l'gerent
liz bound to respect. That IL what 1t
all comes to.
The fact that Great Britain IL morally
incapable of the barbarous and murder
Gus methods by which Germany seeks
to terrorize the high seas in no way
establishes the legality of the British
blockade.
The Tribune.
Plainly the British note does not meet
and cannot satisfy American demands.
American and English inter-
pretations of international law and
precedent there is a wide gap. Indeed.
In "A whole range Of questions II Is al
most necessary to recognize that law
and precedent alike are lacking.
The British note is friendly In tone.
but not more friendly than the last
German note. II does not clear away
any obstacles II does nothing more
than state II British point of view,
which will not he accepted by the
United States. But II does open the
way TO the ultimate settlement of diff
fcrcnces either directly by diplomacy or
indirectly by reference to a court OF
arbitration.
Evening stSnts-Zcitung.
Thus speaks the master OF the vessel.
Co~urteous-yes. courteous are the notes
that Sir Edvard Grey after three months
OF cOutemptuuus hesitation sends 10
Washington. Arrogant. like a genuin.
lSritou who recognizes nothing as right
save his own opinion.
And the British note is written with
diat guid ne motive that has character
ized British craftsmanship never more
than right now-in the tone Of hypoc-
risy.
That Great Britain would not yield
al inch in any point was TO he expected.
The mouthpicce OF British interests had
been laboring FOR weeks to prepare the
patient American public through col
umns of sophistries for the realization
that England, Our dear friend" could
not do otherwise. that England really IL
entirely in the right. and the American
merchants, the cotton growers. the meat
packers. are really entirely wrong in .N-
pecting from an England that she would
respect American right even a tiny bit.
Grey could have put his answer IL,
three words. Nothing doing. Sam
That would have been clear and COM
p~rehenslble. America we'll deserved
such an ans ser. for officially at least
and through its Anglo-American press,
1t has been playing the "obedient ser
! want for mouths.
Not that we are going TO or want to
threaten with war. as Germany was
threatened with war, But this British
answer. which is ne answer, will whii
into glar'ng flames and the laborously
suppressed bitterness and resentment
over England's disregard and high
handedness.
The signs are increasing by the hun
dr.ds Americas eyes have been opened
Gradually a light may dawn 10 the gen
,l.neu in Washington and they viii
wake up To realize hat sable rafting
sharpness toward Germany while VI
crawl ON our knees before England Il
not after the taste % the whole country
Thu. New Worker Herold.
MI ,....A .-,-- -lg,., n - 4, q