Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1915-01-08
A PROTEST AGAINST ENGLISH
PIRACY.

PIRACY.
Not since England was warned to
keep her hands off Venezuela, says
the Irish World, has so sharp note
been addressed to the British For
eign Office by our State Department
as is the one issued last week pro-
testing against the loss incurred by
American trade in consequence of
England's ruthless violation of inter-
national law by enforcing her arbi-
trary rules against alleged contra
/ band trade. She has thereby caused
the loss of millions of dollars to
American citizens. The cotton grow
ers OF the South have suffered sew
erely by the enforcement of these
rules, so too have the exporters OF
American copper, of American bread
stuffs and Of various other American
commodities Senator Walsh, OF
Montana, in a speech delivered in the
United States Senate, has given
statistics showing how the exporters
: Of American copper have been at a
loss Of S5,500,000 since the beginn-
ing of hostilities.
Thirty-one ships have been re-
lieved Of their copper freight At the
]
hundred and fifty tons of copper are
piled up at Gibraltar-e every ton
taken by British cruisers from
American ships on their way to neu-
trail ports. Four of the thirty-one
ships seized were bound for Holland,
fourteen for Italy, thirteen for Swe-
den. Senator Walsh, in speaking of
these high-handed proceedings, said
Senators will understand that cot
ton as well as foodstuffs have been
| declared conditional contraband. All
meats, all cereals are within that
/ limit. Now, il one of the Secretaries
| of State of the Government of Great
/ Britain should declare that Germany
is drawing supplies for its army from
Italy every ship leaving our ports for
an Italian port with any of these
modities-meat, grain, cotton
is subject TO seizure and her cargo to
! confiscation."
AS one reads these words one can
hardly realize that he is living in
1915 and not in 1912. In the latter
year and for several years preceding
| it, English warships were treating
American rights on the high seas
with contempt similar to that mani
tested q few weeks ago when those
thirty-one copper-freighted American
vessels, bound for neutral ports, were
seized and their cargoes landed at
| Gibraltar. In dwelling on these and
similar unjust and tyrannical acts of
/ the Mistress of the Seas" Senator
| Walsh said "A learned italian
writer, in q contribution to the press,
/ appearing in our journals of Monday,
December %, 1914, breathing a most
! friendly spirit toward Britain de-
clared strictly speaking no foreign
vessel can leave port without Eng
lands consent.
It is against this species of servi-
tude to England that the State Dc
partment protests. Ambassador Page
is instructed. to remind the British
Government that the Government Of
the United States has viewed with
/ growing concern the large number Of
vessels laden with American goods
I destined to neutral ports in Europe
which have been seized on the high
seas, taken into British ports and de-
tanned for weeks by the British au-
| thorities." 1t is then pointed out that
I peace, not war, is the normal re-
lation between countries and that,
therefore, the commerce between
countries that are not belligerents
should not be interfered with. This
assertion is another way Of stating
that the ocean is, SO to speak, the
common property of all nations over
which neutral ships trading between
neutral countries should be allowed
to pass unmolested. This is a self
evident proposition that commends
itself to every nation that does not
lay claim to overlordship of the seas.
] England in her arrogance asserts
such a claim. Hence the outrages
with which the protest of our Gov
ernment deals. Their character is
set forth in the following extract
from the State Departments note to
the British Foreign Office. Not only
is the situation a critical one to the
commercial interests of the United
{ States, but many Of the great in
\ dustries OF this country are suffering
because their products are denied
| long-established markets in Europ-
can countries, which, though neutral.
are contiguous to the nations at war.
Producers and exporters, steamship
and insurance companies are press
! ing, and not without reason, for re-
! lief from the menace to transatlantic
trade, which is gradually but surely
destroying their business and threat
ening them with financial disaster"
No self-respecting nation may al
low those owing it allegiance to suf-
fer such losses as here described
without calling to account the coun-
| try infiicting these losses. England
has no proprietorship in the water
ways of the world, and consequently
may not forbid an American ship
destined for a neutral port to take on
at her home port freight which Eng
land, in contravention to interna-
tional law, arbitrarily has declared
contraband Of war. If such American
vessel be stopped on the high seas by
British ships of war and if her
! freight be conhscated, such act win
be tantamount to piracy mad should
be regarded by the United States
Government as open war upon Amer
lean commerce and be treated as