Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-06-30
REPLIES TO US. NOTE.
sRITAIN'S BLOCKADE TO BE
TIGHTENED-No RELIEF Is
SEEN BY OFFICIALS.
NO ANSWER TO CHIEF ISSUES
England Explains Action, But Does
Not Reply to United States Pro.
test on Holding American
Vessels. 20

| JuA0 dO.--1AOIU SIcWC p
memorandum to Ambassador Page,
dealing with the complaint of deten.
ton of American cargoes bound for
neutral ports, was made public on
Thursday by the state department.
State department officials would not
comment on the memorandum. In the
opinion OF experts on international
law who have followed the controversy
between the two governments, the
| memorandum Is not of a character to
| afford much satisfaction. 1t holds out
little expectation Of material relief to
! American commerce from the hard.
ships inflicted upon 1t by British regu'
lations and violation Of the principles
OF international law as pointed out by
the United States in its note OF
March 80. Consequently its effect,
1t is believed, will be rather to sharp.
en- the edge of the issue between the
| two governments. *tt5 81.
In his note OF transmittal, Ambas-
sador Page says that the memoran-
dunn is not intended as an answer to
the principles set forth in the note
Of March 80, but merely an @"explana-
ton of concrete cases and the regula-
lions under which they are dealt with"
The British memorandum made
public Thursday contains distinct de-
NAL Of certain rights for which the
United States in the note OF March
30 contends. So to an extent at least
It must be taken as an answer to that
note. r. s,5 .-.....,
In the note Of March 30 the United
States asserted that a nations SOY.
ereignty over It's ships at sea suffered
no diminution In times of war Eek
sent Of civilized nations has limited it
by the recognition of certain clear
Iy defined rights which it is conceded
may be exercised by nations which
are at war" These admitted rights
Of the belligerents ;, are visit and
search. capture and condemnation II
visit and search reveals contraband,
an finally the right Of blockade Of
enemy ports. 5$s1ss s.'.s "
The complaint of the United States
was that the interference Of Great
Britain was not confined within these
rights. but went far beyond them.
The principal complaint Of the United
States has been that Great Britain
has held up American cargoes of non
contraband to the great detr1ment Of
American trade with neutral coun-;;
tries. +, ls-%ly- /. ga >a$
The British offer to pay has not
been accepted by the United States as
full recompense and 1t certainly has
not been regarded as justifying such
high-handed action. z.$;5
y Lord Crewe in his memorandum
makes no reference to the principles
Of international law which the United
States demanded that Great Britain
respect and In the view taken here
seeks to override the American pro
test. He details the concessions"
which he says Great Britain has made
to American commerce, such for in
stance as the payment of s450,O004 to
various American shippers Of cotton.
Two paragraphs of Lord Crewe's
memorandum were considered of spe
cial importance as indicating that
Great Britain intends to tighten.
rather than loosen, her blockade
These we're: - f5.
His majesty's government will be
prepared herafter to give special con.
sideration to cases presented to them
and involving particular hardships, II
the goods concerned are required for
neutral governments or municipalities,
or In respect of works of public utility
and where payment can be shown to
have been made before the first Of
March, 1915. ~ I Al 49,
with the above Z exceptions hie
majesty's government regret they
cannot continue to deal through the
diplomatic channel with individual
cases, but they would again point out
that special provision is made for the
consideration Of such cases In the
prize court" ,..- ir.-. .. }'frssS2,ss
Paragraph 16 was taken to mean
that hereafter the United States would
experience greater difficulty in getting
any goods from any port which Great
Britain regards as an enemy port,
and paragraph IT is taken to be notice
that Great Britain intends to end
further diplomatic discussion Of her
seizures - as M
The British embassy announced that
in cases where it was impossible for
American shippers to get goods out OF
Germany before June Is, the time has
been extended. 1t will be necessary,
however. for shippers to show that
they had not time In tn Time IL tn got