The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1915-08-19
u. s. ANSWERS Note
ON WAR SUPPLIES
CONTROVERSY OVER CHIPPING
ARMS TO ALLIES lS
ENDED.
STRONG STAND is TAKEN
This Government Takes View That
Embargo on Munitions Would
Force Nations to Store Arms
In Times of Peace.

Washington-A communication, in
the form OF reply to the Austria
Hungarian protest against the ship
ping of war supplies to the Allies by
American manufacturers, was made
public Monday morning. Vienna is
informed that this government will not
consider an embargo on this shipping.
While President Wilson in this note.
as in all others to European govern
ments on the war issues, takes his
stand firmly upon the principles in
volved and upon the usage Of nations,
he introduces another feature which
by many is regarded as the most
striking of the note The president
bases his refusal to consider the Aus
trian suggestion on the principal
grounds of its effect upon the ability
of the United States to meet a foe in
the event Of war.
This government tells Austria that
1t has been the policy of the United
States from the foundation of the re-
public not TO maintain in time OF
peace a large military establishment
or stores of arms and ammunition;
that the United States has, in fact,
always depended upon the right and
power to purchase arms and ammuni-
ton from neutral nations In case Of
foreign attack.
The following are pertinent para
graphs of the communication:
"In this connection it is pertinent
to direct the attention of the imperial
and royal government TO the fact that
Austria Hungary and Germany, par
ticulary the latter, have during the
years preceding the present Euro
pean war produced a surplus Of arms
and ammunition which they sold
throughout the world and especially
TO belligerents. Never during that
period did either of them suggest or
apply the principle now advocated by
the imperial and royal government"
"Perceiving, as it does, that the
adoption of the principle that it is
the duty Of neutral to prohibit the
sale of arms and ammunition to
belligerent during the progress OF
war would inevitably give the advant-
age to. the belligerent which encour-
aged the manufacture of munitions in
time OF peace and which had laid in
vast stores of arms and ammunition
in anticipation of war the government
of the United States is convinced that
the adoption Of the theory would force
militarism on the world and work
against that universal peace which is
the desire and purpose of all nations
which exalt justice and right progress
in their relations with one another"
"In view of the positive assertion
in the statement Of the imperial and
royal government as to the unanimity
of the text writer's as to the eXporta-
ton of contraband being unneutral,
this government has caused a careful
examination Of the principal authori-
ties on international laws to be made.
AS a result OF this examination 1t has
come to the conclusion that the i'm
perial and royal government has been
misled and has inadvertently made
one-ffth of the authorities advocate
unreservedly the prohibition of the
export fcontraban6. Several OF
those who constitute this minority
admit that the practice II nations has
been otherwise. II may not be mop
Fortune to direct particular attention
to the declaration of the German au-
thority. Paul Ieinicke, who states that,
at the beginning of war, belligerents
have never demonstrated against the
enactment Of prohibitions on trade in
contraband but adds but such prohi-
billions may be considered as viola
tions of neutrality or at least as un-
friendly acts, if they are enacted dur
ing war with the purpose to close
Unexpectedly the sources Of supply to
a party which heretofore had relied
on them
"The government of the United
States deems II unnecessary 70 extend
further. at the present time, state
ment to the Austrian-Hungarian gov
eminent. The principles of interna-
tional law, the practice of nations, the
national safety of the United States
and other nations without great mill
tary and naval establishments, the
prevention Of increased armies and
navies, the adoption of peaceful meth
DDS for the adjustment of information
al differences and finally, neutrality
itself are opposed to the prohibition
by a neutral nation of the exporta-
ton of arms, ammunitions. or other
munitions of war to belligerent pow
ers during the progress of the. war.
"(Signed)
LANSING"