Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-08-17
COTTON AS ~CoNTRABAND
British Government is Giving Matter
Most Serious Consideration.

British government Is Giving Matter
Most Serious Consideration.
Lord Robert Cecil, parliamentary
under-secretary for foreign affairs,
in the course of a formal interview
last Friday, defining the British Gov
ernmeht's attitude in the complicated
cotton situation, made this statement:
THE allies must by all lawful
means prevent cotton reaching their
enemies; it may be considered neces-
sary TO make cotton contraband."
IIe relrained from any hint that the
commodity would be removed from
the free list at any specific date or
that the government had evolved any
solution to meet the demands Of
American cotton growers and neutral
consumers. He stated explicitly how
ever that if cotton were made con-
traband, England would consider the
act legal and internationally justified.
His statement, the first in behalf
of the government, outside parlia-
ment relative to cotton, and coming
at a time when the public is clamor-
ing for drastic action to shut off the
supply from Germany, is taken in
some quarters to presage this step
soon. In his statement, which an
nounces that it describes the govern
ment's position on cotton $50 far as
it is at the moment possible to de-
fine it," Lord Cecil says:
Earnest Consideration.
THE British government, acting in
conjunction with it's allies, is giving
the cotton situation its continuous
and most earnest consideration. The
government is fully aware of the i'm
portance of cotton to America We
Iuily understand that upon a salts
factory adjustment of the matter de-
Ponds to a considerable degree the
welfare of nearly a quarter of the
population of the United States. The
welfare Of the whole population of
Great Britain, however, also is in
vOlved, as well as hat of all Great
Britian's allies, for whom the British
government is acting in these and
other matters concerning %contraband
and trade.
THE fundamentals of the situation
are quite clear. The allies must by
all lawful means prevent cotton
reaching their enemies. That is a
vital military necessity which a. the
world will recognize.
AT the same time, and equally as
important, consideration must be
given to a great cOtton-producing
country like America: and to con-
Stunning countries like Sweden, Nor
way, Denmark and Holland. A policy
must be devised which will respect
the legitimate rights of neutrals and
yet safeguard the legitimate interests
of the allies and inflict as much dam
age as possible upon III enemies.
Cotton as yet has not been de-
clared contraband but under ouI
blockade, all cotton which is believed
to be destined for Germany is stop
ped. 1t may be considered necessary
to make cotton contraband. There is
a demand in the allied countries thai
this should be done. There is as
suredly ample justification for thu
action if it is deemed necessary.
No Substitute for it.
There may be u substitute for cop
per in making munitions of war. For
cotton there is no known substitute.
Making cotton c~ontraband would
internationally justified beyond pro-
test. SO far as American cotton is
concerned, however the problem OF
marketing cotton on this side would
undergo little change. American cot