El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-02-18
ENGLAND ARGUES
AGAINST R0TE5T.
Note of Reply to U, S. De
MES Validity Of Conten-
lions About Ships.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 1S.-An at
tempted refutation of arguments pre-
scented by the United States in its re-
cent protest against British interior
| ence with American shipping is con-
tanned in the second and complete note
of reply sent by Great Britain to the
United States through the medium OF
ambassador Page at London.
The note. addressed to ambassador
Page by Sir Edwar Grey under date
of February 10, denies that the depreS-
sion in American industries IS due 10
the activity of the British fleet and
suggests among other causes the short
age of shipping facilities, the dimuni-
ton Of cotton trade and the
by submarine mines laid by the enemy
indiscriminately,' of many neutral yes
sells.
After giving a lengthy and detailed
answer to the charge that American
ships and cargoes were being unduIy
detained, the communication contains
in its concluding paragraph the an
nouncement that Great Britain intends
to take r~etaliatory measures against
the Germans submarine campaign
against enemy ships but does not re-
veal their nature.
VIII Try to Avoid Injury.
C~onceding that foodstuffs intended
for the civil population of a country
are not c-ontraband, the British gov
eminent points out that in any cOun-
try in which there exists such tremend-
Gus organization for war as now OBJ
tains in Germany, there is no clear
division between those whom the gov
eminent is responsible for feeding and
those whom it is not"
1T will still be u endeavor," says
the final paragraph, ito avoid injury
and loss to neutrals but the
ment by the German government of
their intention to sink merchant vessels
and their cargOes without notification
of their nationality or character and
without making any provision for the
safety of nOncOmbatant crews or Civ
ing them a chance of saving their lives
has made it necessary for his majesty's
to consider what measures
they should adopt to protect their in
t~erests. It is impossible for one belli-
gerent to depart from rules and prece-
dents IN for the other to remain bound
by them"
SuppIementing the preliminary reply
of several weeks ago, the new note is
about 10, 600 words long and includes
not only statistical argument, but a
further discussion of the legal princi-
pies involved.
OBTAINING CargOes.
Discussing the general proposition
that a belligerent is entitled to capture
c-Outraband goods on their way to the
enemy, the British note traces the
origin of the right of interceptiOn and
speaks OF the new devices
from time to time for dispatching con- !
traband goods to an enemy. Here the
doctrine of continuous voyage as enun-
ciated during the civil war by secre-
tary Seward is quoted at length and the
question of ultimate destination argued ]
in detail. To justify the detention of
suspected cargoes when passing be-
tween neutral countries and taking
them into ports for examination, the !
cases of American practices during the I
CnaniCh- m arfoan war are also cited /
and the note says these presidents are ]
inconsistent with the statement Of the
American government made to the
British ambassador at Washington No
vember z, which insisted that search
be made on the high seas. at the
of the vessel" and that the o n
of the search should rest upOn
the evidence found on the ship and
aside from external sources
Search in Calm Waters.
The foreign secretary r~eiterates that
the increased size of steamships neces-
states search in calm waters and in
sists that during the Russo-Japanese
war and also during the second Balkan
war, British vessels were made to
from their course and follow
the cruisers to some spot where the
right of visit and search could be more
conveniently carried out" and in both
cases, although questioned at first,
Great Britain finally acquiesced-"
To take a ship into port, the note on
tends, is not to be looked upon las a
belligerent right, but as an adapta-
lion Of the existing right to the modern
conditions of commerce" and like all
rights, it must be exercised
with due regard to neutral interests
it would be unreasonable to expect
4 neutral vessel to make long devia.
from her course for this purpose"
this reason. it is asserted, neutral
Merchantmen were encouraged to visit
British port on their route to
void the alternative of keeping a ves-
iel waiting perhaps for days for better
Weather conditions on the high seas.
1t is common experience of every
continues the note. that neutraIs
whose attempts to engage in suspicious
rading are frustrated by a beIligerent
ire wont to nave recourse to their gov
.rnment to urge that diplomatic remon-
frances hould be made on their behalf
md that redress should be obtained for
In Hhin m-nrru i