Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-01-19
REPLY By BRITAIN
SIR EDWARD GREY IN ANSWER
TO U. S. NOTE PLEADS RIGHT
TO SEARCH.
U. S. FIGURES ARE DISPUTED
Americas Contention on Ship Seiz-
ure Admitted Just, But Declared Diff
ficuIt in enthusiastically Bryan
Awaits Full Answer.

Washington, Jan. 12-Great Brit
aims preliminary reply to the note
from the United States government re-
questing an Improvement in the treat
ment Of American commerce by the
British fleet was made public here
and in London on Sunday by mutual
agreement between the state depart
ment and the British foreign office.
The British communication concurs
in the view of the United States that
commerce between neutral nations
should be interfered with only when
imperatively necessary, and officials
of the Washington government con-
strued it as conceding that the princi-
pies expressed by the American note
were just and upheld by the previous
ly accepted usages of international
law.
The only formal comment m-de was
contained in a brief statement issued
by Secretary Bryan, who said:
This answer being preliminary and
not being intended as complete re-
ply, we will postpone comment until
the full answer is received"
Briefly, the British note, while con-
ceding the principles of the American
governments contentious, points out
difficulties in actual practice, refers to
alleged fraudulent practices by ship
pers and cites statistics showing an
increase rather than a decrease, in
rtof ~ ~
of Great BFitain's suspicious that Ger
many and Austria have been indirectly
obtaining contraband through neutral
countries. The note promises, how
ever, that Great Britain will make
redress" whenever the action of the
British fleet may Internationally ex-
coed" the limits of international law
While they are generally reserved in
their comments it may be stated au-
thoritatively that high officials of the
United States government regard the
tone Of the note as entirely friendly
and believe, moreover, that the dis
cussion which will follow it will be
carried on in the same vein, with
desire on the part of both countries to
reach a satisfactory understanding.
The admission by Great Britain of
one of the chief points in the American
note-that the relations between neu-
trails were those of normal times, of
peace and not of war-was gratifying
to officials, who believed that the con-
troversy would now revolve itself into
a frank discussion of what were the
actual necessities of the case which
impel interference by a belligerent
when suspecting that the ultimate des-
tination of a neutral cargo is belliger-
ent territory.
The statistics brought forth to show
that commerce between the United
States and neutral countries contigu-
Gus to Germany and Austria had in
creased materially since the outbreak
of the war were regarded here as mis-
leading. 1t was pointed out that in
view of the breaking down of the nor
NAL routes of commerce with Germany
and Austria many noncontrabaDd
products had been shipped through
neutral countries Similarly, the neu-
trail countries which previously had
obtained much of their supplies from
belligerents were now importing.
AS to the increase in shipments of
copper to Italy it was pointed out that
the Italian ambassador here already
had explained that Italy. which had
previously obtained copper from Ger
many and Austria for her manufac-
lures, now was forced to import from
the United States, because of the en-
barge on expectation which the bellig-
erents themselves had imposed. The
American government contends, more
over, that If some copper has reached
the belligerents through neutral coun-
tries it is the duty of the British to
make more effective arrangements
with those neutral countries.
The admission of Great Britain that
as to foodstuffs and conditional con-
traband, Lord Salisbury's doctrine.
quoted in the American note, would be
followed in practice by the British,
foodstuffs being held up only when
destined to an enemy force, also was
pleasing to American officials.
There is every reason to believe that
the United States will not accept the
view of Great Britain that cargoes
must be taken into port for extended
examination. While statistics ad-
vanced show that only As cargoes
out of 773 have actually reached
the prize courts, officials here note that
no mention is made in the British note
of the great number of American car
goes detained and subsequently re-
leased. It was not the loss already
suffered by American commerce which
brought forth the American note, but
the desire to prevent commerce in the
future from being mistreated.