Omaha daily bee., 1915-11-09
ADVISES BRITONS
TO KEEP TEMPERS
Manchester Guardian Says People
Should Try to Get United States
Viewpoint of Sea Law.
BLOCKADE RULES OBSOLETE

MANCHESTER, England, Nov. s.
The American note to Great
Britain is polite, but hard in sub
stance, in the opinion OF the Guar
dian, which says:
I'VE must not let preoccupation
prevent us from trying to under
stand the United States viewpoint
Although we shall be able to con-
cede it's contentious. much will de-
rend upon the spirit in which It is
deal with officially, privately and
publicly. Let none forget that the
cordial friendship of the United
States will not be a luxury. but a
necessity of British policy when the
war is over"
Pointing out that the rules for block
ades were made before RAJ 7ads we're
built and that lawyers and - .lomats al
ways have forgotten the railroads when
revising the rules, the Guardian contends
railroads have made Holland, Denmark
and Norway part OF Germany, and that
II there were no Interference with the
transit OF goods through these neutral
countries, then Germany could not be
blockaded.
I'm effect" the Guardian continues.
''the American arguments, IL they were
accepted as they stand. would abolish the
commercial blockade OF any continental
powce Only islands which have no neu-
trail side doors could be blockaded COM
merclaliy.
Does the United States question the
right of Interference with GerIran trade
Import through neutral portB9 II the
answer yes. then our hhswer must be
ono OF resistance to a view OF law which
woul work out very unjustly to us as an
island country and which America did not
recognize when IL was at war. The only
concession we could make on principle
would be to agree to discuss the whole
question with the United States at the
end OF the war when the time came 10
rewrite the entire law OF naval capture.
''If. on tho other hand. the United
States does not assert this principle then
the matter between US is one rather OF
detail than of principle. II seems as vital
now as in March that we would right our
selves I'm legal form by declaring n
blockade Of Germany and announcing our
intention to interpret that blockade on
the principle OF the ultimate destination
of a cargo for which there is good au-
thority In international practice"
Surprise IL Dominant Note.
LONDON, Nov. S.-Notwithstanding the
forecasts of the American note TO Great
Britain. which had been sent from Wash
, ington by correspondents of the British
press, surprise Is the predominant tone
| of the majority of the British newspaper
I'm their comment on the document The
country has been too deeply wrapped VI
in the consideration OF pressing European
problems during the last few weeks &c
give much attention to American opinion
and apparently It was not aware thai
the treatment OF American shipping might
furnish ground for a serious controversy
between the two governments.
THE American note upon our inter.
ference with neutral trade" says the
Mall Gazette. will be read with som,
surprise In this country. While the duty
OF every power to keep vigilant guart
over the interests of it's own commerc'
will be freely recognized. II must be fell
that the United States scarcely grapplei
with the realities of the situation created
in the first place by the fact of war. and
In the second by the criminality OF Ger
man practices In some passages, th'
note seems to invoke the authority ol
International law. as II its problemi
could be finally settled for one belligeren
without reference TO the doings of th'
other. 1hat IL a view utterly inapplicabl'
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