The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-01-14
NOTE OF REPLY
TO THE PROTEST
IS DISCUSSED
OFFICIALS WON'T MARK TIME"
UNTIL DETAILS ARE RECEIVED.
is EXTREMELY CONCILIATORY
British Press and Public Accept Eng.
lands Answer AS Opening Way
For Settlement Of Difficulty
There Was General Approval.

| 'There was SeneraI Approval
Washington, Jan. 11.-Great Brit
aims preliminary note replying to this
governments shipping protest was
the engrossing subject in official and
congressional circles today
Official administration comment
was withheld until the subsequent de-
tailed note promised is forthcoming.
The general opinion was that the
mote is extremely conciliatory and is
ICouched in even more friendly terms
THAN the original protest.
Officials said this government will
not mark time until the detailed Brit
fish note is received.
No further American communica-
tons except in the cases of individual
ships or cargoes will be sent to the
foreign office.
British Press Accepts.
London, Jan. 11.--The British press
and public accept the answer of Great
Britain to the protest of the United
States against the right of search as
opening way for speedy and AMIGA
BILE settlement of the point at issue
There was general approval today
of the fact that England had main.
tanned her right to prevent needed
assistance reaching her enemies.
Text OF Reply.
The text of Sir Edward Grey's pre-
liminary reply to the United States
protest against the detention of Ameri'
can ships contained in the note of De-
cember %, is in part as follows:
| Foreign Office, Jan. Z, 1915.
Your Excellency: ~.
have the honor to acknowledge re-
ceipt of your note of the 2Sth of De-
cember.
In Friendly Spirit.
Let me say at once that we entirely
recognize the most friendly spirit re-
ferred to by your excellency, and that
we desire to reply in the same spirit
and in the belief that, as your excel
iency states, frankness will best serve
the continuance of cordial relations
between the two countries.
His majesty's government cordially
concurs in the principle enunCiated by
the government of the United States
that a belligerent, in dealing with
trade between neuIrals, should not in
terfere unless such interference is nee
essary to protect the belligerents ma
tiohal safety, and then only to the eX-
tent to which this Is necessary. We
shall endeavor to keep our action with
in the limits of this principle on the
understanding that it admits our right
to interfere when such interference is.
not with "bonafido" trade between.
the United States and another neutral
country, but with trade in contraband
destined for the enemy's country, and
we are ready, whenever our action
may Internationally exceed this prin-
Ciple, to make redress.
Hide Contrahand In Cotton.
His majesty's government has never
| put cotton on the list of contraband;
it has throughout the war kept it OH
the free list; and, ON every occasion
| when questioned on this point, it has
stated its intention of adhering to this
| practice. But information has reached
| US that, precisely because we have de.
clared our intention of not interfering
with cotton, ships carrying cotton will
be specially selected to carry con.
cealed contraband; and we have been
warned that copper will be concealed
in bales of cotton. '-5
The only way to prove our case
would be to examine and weigh the
bales, a process that could be carried
out only by bringing the vessel into
port.
With regard to the seizure of food
stuffs, to which your excellency refers,
his maiesty's government is prepared
to admit that foodstuffs should not be
| detained and put into prize court
without presumption that they are in
tended for the armed forces of the
enemy or the enemy government.
l., Explain Every Case.
Pending more detailed reply, l
would conclude by saying that his
majesty's government does not desire
to contest the general principles of
law on which it understands the note
of the United States to be based, and
desires to restrict its action solely to
interferences with contraband des.
tined for the enemy.
1t is most DESTROYS in the interest of
both the United States and of other
neutral countries that British action
should not interfere with the normal
importation and use by the neutral
countries of goods from the United
States.
have the honor to be. with the
highest consideration, your excel.
lency's most obedient. humble serv.
ant. E. GREY.
Deaths AZ Soldiers, Home.